THE 



CHILD OF THE COVENANT: 



OE 



HOW CHRISTIAN PARENTS 



SHOULD 



TRAIN UP THEIR HOUSEHOLDS 



BY REV. J. B. WATEEBURY, D. D. 
BOSTON: 

T. E. MARTIN" AND S.K. WHIPPLE & CO. 
NEW YORK : — M . W . DODD, 

1855. 




^1 



Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1855, by 

T. K. MARVIN, 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts. 



CONTENTS 



CHAPTER I. 



claim to them recognized in the 
Old Testament — also in the New — the consecration enjoined, meets a 
natural wish of the parental pious heart — the parental relation divinely 
constituted — instinctive love common to the animal creation — its use — 
the higher principle in man — parental responsibility — relates to the 
physical wants first — soon to the moral wants — duties which grow out of 
the parental relation — physical education — its connection Avith mental 
development — intellectual training — developed at first under the parental 
eye — parents and teachers — their mutual responsibility — incentives to 
watchfulness. 

CHAPTER II. 

IN WHAT PRINCIPLES SHOULD CHILDREN BE EDUCATED ? 

Principle and practice — theories of the moral state— infant depravity — the 
papistical theory, including baptismal regeneration — another theory, viz., 
that which makes depravity to depend on circumstances — still another 
theory— these theories of depravity examined and refuted. 

CHAPTER III. 

CHILDREN BORN IN SIN. 

The scriptural theory of depravity — a first principle, that we are born in 
sin — depravity to be referred to the soul, not the animal nature — sin the 
natural state, and holiness the gracious state — some sanctified in infancy 



*s 



CONTENTS. 



' — declaration in regard to infant salvation, and on what grounds — all 
children indicate depravity in some form — when are children proper 
subjects of prayer ? — the relation of infant baptism to original sin — ob- 
jection to infant baptism founded on the " cui bono " principle — this 
objection considered — repudiation of infant baptism on the ground, that 
it is mystical or superstitious — another objection considered, viz., that it 
leads to neglect other means of grace — the practical effect of our theory — 
leading to earnest prayer for the child's regeneration — the idea repelled, 
that our views lead us to expect the child will grow up in sin — baptismal 
obligations an auxiliary influence in the discharge of parental duty. 



4 CHAPTER IV. 

DUTY OF PARENTS TO THEIR UNCONVERTED CHILDREN. 

Children generally indicate a sinful rather than a gracious state — manifest 
at a very early age — parental influence, when should it begin — first, 
restraint of the passions — the responsible season for moral culture — chil- 
dren taught their relation to God — the idea of God, and its influence — 
conscience, when operative — moral ideas, how inculcated — the object 
which a Christian parent should keep in view — natural aptitude in the 
young mind to receive religious impressions — the being of God a great 
lever in the hand of the parent — how far natural religion aids us — the 
Bible, the great thesaurus of instruction — proper views of the divine 
character to be inculcated. 



CHAPTER V. 

THE RELATION OF CHILDREN TO GOD AS SINNERS. 

Selfishness the great antagonistical principle to truth and virtue — the child 
to be apprised of its naturally evil heart — how it may be impressed with 
the nature and turpitude of sin — by the law is the knowledge of sin — its 
use in convincing the child of his delinquencies — this course has been 
excepted to — the objections considered — our ideas of youthful depravity 
stated — the effect of our inculcations on the child— conviction necessary 
to conversion — to the appreciation of redemption by Christ — children 
placed under the tutelage of the law — what is the duty of Orthodox 
Christians on this point — can children understand the doctrines ? — the 
great end of all these inculcations, viz., their conversion to God. 



CONTEXTS. O 

CHAPTER VI. 

CHILDREN LED TO CHRIST. 

A sense of sin prepares for this — the family a type of the divine govern- 
ment — obedience to parents one form of obedience to God — these duties 
interlaced — Fourierism — the family state affords the occasion for illus- 
trating the duties we owe to God — a child's first idea of sin and retribu- 
tion here obtained — scriptural idea of forgiveness — the mediatorial idea 
developed in the family — the great doctrine of the atonement shadowed 
forth — Christ and his offices pointed out — Christ's example in regard to 
selfishness — Christ, the end of the law for righteousness— easy to be 
inculcated — childhood the season of confidence — convictions of childhood 
— under what circumstances developed — how to be treated — the new 
field of culture — the power of parental example — parental counsels — a 
higher type of piety needed as the millennium draws near. 



CHAPTER VII. 

THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT. 

Abraham's position as he stood related to succeeding believers — commend- 
atory notices of the patriarch — his faithfulness in the religious training 
of his children and household — faithful, anterior to the covenant — the 
latter both strengthening and encouraging him — in like manner, is the 
operation of the covenant now — divine wisdom and goodness to be recog- 
nized in the covenant — external services imply the weakness of our 
nature, and are helpful — the external formality not religion, only an aid 
to it — error of the papists — Quakers on the other extreme — stipulations 
of the Abrahamic covenant — perfecting of this covenant — whom it em- 
braced — the seal of the covenant — its recognition in baptism — no new 
edict required in regard to children's membership of the church — no 
abridgment of their privileges under the new dispensation — reasoning 
of the Apostles on this point — the covenant had in view mainly spiritual 
privileges— bearings of the covenant on the increase of the church — sad 
and criminal neglect of Christian parents — exhoi'ation to the discharge 
of duties connected with this covenant. 



6 CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

INFANT BAPTISM AS RELATED TO THE ABRAHAMIC 
COVENANT. 

Object of Paul in his Epistle to the Galatians — an incidental argument 
thence for infant baptism — baptism (infant) not abrogated with the 
ceremonial law — reasoning of Paul to this effect — circumcision, its his- 
tory and original import — Abraham, under a gospel dispensation pros- 
pectively — his faith, and the sign or seal of it, viz., the seal of circum- 
cision — a seal of the righteousness of faith — the visible church in the 
patriarch's family — the seal or sign continued under the Levitical 
economy no nullification of its continuance or import — the seal being 
changed or modified as to what is external, to be applied as in the family 
of Abraham — not restricted to adults — reference to household baptism — 
additional arguments for infant baptism — identity of the church in all 
ages — illustrated in the vineyard and in the olive tree — no command for 
restricting it to adults — household baptism — condition of the primitive 
church — principles and practice of the Apostles — " believe and be bap- 
tized " — Lydia's baptism — the jailer's — Stephanus's — the import of the 
word oikos considered — children included in the idea — this illustrated — 
another argument — the unbelieving wife, &c. — children of such mar- 
riages, how related to the covenant— Dr. Doddridge's opinion. 



CHAPTER IX. 

RELATION OF BAPTIZED CHILDREN TO THE CHURCH. 

In what sense baptism makes children members of the church — Abraham's 
family a proper type — relation of children to the church under the 
Mosaic economy — under the Christian economy — put on the ground of 
the domestic " ecclesia" — St. Paul's example as to the treatment of 
households, such as that of Lydia and the jailer — children members 
of the church general rather than of any church in particular — the 
responsibility of training and discipline on the parent — the church has 
a duty — its nature and extent — watch and care, sympathy and instruc- 
tion, rather than discipline — these views fortified by the late eminent 
Dr. Dwight— quotations from Dr. Dwight — the baptized .child's right to 
the Lord's supper considered — the discipline of refractory children, to 
whom is it referred — the church possesses an indirect control through 
the parent — the duties of the church stated. 



CONTENTS. i 

CHAPTER X. 

PRACTICAL QUESTIONS. 

Practical question — how young- shall a child be admitted to membership in 
the church? — the bearings of this question upon the child, and upon the 
church — inference from the preceding- reasoning- — very young- children 
sometimes admitted — peculiar cases justifying- it — better in general to 
wait for more age and experience — possibility of deception in regard to a 
spiritual change — difference in intelligence and moral training — a church 
to be guided by circumstances — safe rule not to admit too young — from 
twelve and upwards a reasonable limit. 

CHAPTER XI. 

HOUSEHOLD BAPTISM — A QUESTION IN CONNECTION 
WITH IT. 

A question in connection with household baptism — to what number, and at 
what age shall baptism be administered, on the faith of the professing 
head ? — case of the jailer at Fhilippi considered — the example not defi- 
nite — yet sufficient to warrant the baptism of children under age— cus- 
tom of the Hebrews in regard to proselytes — remarks of Calmet — the 
rule should embrace all from twelve or thirteen years and under — no 
coercion — re-baptism — the question considered — should be discounte- 
nanced — and on what grounds — especially its tendency to self-righteous- 
ness — objections to the principles and practices of the Baptists, princi- 
pally on these grounds — spirit of the Apostle Paul in relation to this 
subject. 

CHAPTER XII. 

PRACTICAL DUTIES. 

Questions as to parental indulgence — amusements — they must be innocent 
— differing views — a rule in regard to amusements — how to be inter- 
preted — children and parents alike professors under the baptismal cove- 
nant — consequent obligations — books — literature of the present day — its 
tendency in many cases bad — parents must watch on this point — what 
kind of books to be admitted, and what to be excluded — the Sabbath — its 
obligation — how to be kept — worship — the duty of parents in regard to 
where his child shall worship— responsibility of parents — close. 



THE CHILD OF THE COVENANT. 



CHAPTER I. 

CHILDREN GOD'S HERITAGE. 

In what sense, Children are God's — God's claim to them recognized in the 
Old Testament — also in the Xew — the consecration enjoined, meets a 
natural wish of the parental pious heart — the parental relation divinely 
constituted. — Instinctive love common to the animal creation — its use — 
the higher principle in man — parental responsibility — relates to the 
physical wants first — soon to the moral wants — duties which grow out of 
the parental relation — physical education — its connection with mental 
development — intellectual training — developed at first under the parental 
eye — parents and teachers — their mutual responsibility — incentives to 
watchfulness. 

All parents are in duty bound to recognize 
in their offspring the gift of God. They are 
under no less obligation to lay this gift upon his 
altar ; believing that in either, or in both senses, 
children may not improperly be called, " The her- 
itage of the Lord." In the sense of a trust com- 
mitted, of a blessing loaned, they are theirs ; but 
they are God's by right of creation, and should 
be so acknowledged by virtue of a formal conse- 
cration. 

2 



10 CHILDREN GOD'S HERITAGE. 

Under the Old Testament, express provision 
was made for this recognition of God's claim ; and 
every male child, shortly after its birth, was, with 
due solemnity, declared to be a part of God's 
spiritual heritage. Having reached a certain age, 
iit was taken to the temple ; and with the usual 
sacrifices, again surrendered up to the service of 
God. In the estimation of the ancient church, 
this right or privilege of infant consecration was 
.regarded as among their greatest blessings. 

It requires no very deep study into the human 
heart — especially of the pious parental heart — to 
discover how consonant with the yearnings of 
nature was this provision of the Almighty. To 
me, it seems natural, I had almost said indispen- 
sable, that the unconscious immortal intrusted to 
my guardianship, should be recognized by some 
formal religious act as the rightful property of its 
Creator. Hence, under the Christian, as under 
the Jewish dispensation, these obligations, which 
the voice of nature suggests, are implied, if not 
explicitly enjoined. It would have been, in my 
opinion, a serious objection to Christianity, and 
one which the Jews would very readily have 
urged, had its great Author repudiated this rela- 
tion of our offspring to the church. But such was 
not the case. What he said in relation to children, 



CHILDREN GOD'S HERITAGE. 11 

if it means anything, makes for our doctrine ; and 
confirms, under a milder form, what was so highly- 
esteemed and so universally practiced under the 
more painful one. It pleased him to say, as a 
rebuke to his disciples repelling certain parents 
who sought to lay their children in his arms that 
he might bless them, " Suffer the little children to 
come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is 
the kingdom of heaven." 

THE PARENTAL RELATION. 

What I intend however to consider, at this time, 
is the parental relation, and some of the duties 
which grow out of it. 

As thus stated, the subject must be interesting 
to all ; though its presentation has reference more 
particularly to those who sustain the twofold rela- 
tion of parents and of Christians. The parental is 
a relation constituted by God himself, and though 
designed for good, may be made the occasion of 
good or of evil, according as the responsibilities 
are faithfully met, or wantonly disregarded. At 
no previous time, perhaps, has the subject of pa- 
rental duty — having reference especially to the 
religious education of children — assumed a more 
interesting aspect, or required a more careful con- 



12 CHILDREN GOD'S HERITAGE. 

sideration. This arises from the fact, that in our 
day a less rigid system of treatment and discipline 
is practiced than the one which regulated the in- 
tercourse of parents and children in a former age. 
It is, so to speak, less severe ; admitting more 
familiarity, and aiming at an earlier development. 

There have been introduced also certain princi- 
ples of religious culture, which profess to be an 
improvement on those which we have been accus- 
tomed to consider scriptural and right. The old- 
fashioned notions of training up Christian house- 
holds have been questioned as to their propriety, 
if not ridiculed for their absurdity. The subject 
is, therefore, clothed with more than ordinary 
interest ; and no person sustaining the parental 
relation — having the sacred trust of souls commit- 
ted to their culture — can fail to appreciate its 
importance. 

When a child is born, this relation commences. 
It is an eventful era in the history of the individual 
parent. The heart is moved by strange emotions ; 
and the interest which has spread itself over a 
thousand objects, is, for a season at least, concen- 
trated upon one. By a provision the most merci- 
ful, the God of providence has secured, in the 
deep instincts of our nature, the vigilance and 
care so necessary for the support and comfort of 



CHILDREN GOD'S HERITAGE. 13 

the little helpless and dependent being. " Can a 
woman forget her sucking child ?" The question 
implies almost an impossibility, which instinctive 
love has reared against the abandonment or neg- 
lect of her offspring. But other feelings soon 
supervene ; and where instinctive affection is 
inadequate, the reason and moral faculties are 
influential. 

The lower orders of the animal creation are 
supplied, for wise purposes, with the same instinc- 
tive love of their young as human beings. There 
is but one exception, — recorded in Scripture and 
confirmed by observation, — that of the ostrich, 
who, in the fine poetical language of Job, " leav- 
eth her eggs in the earth, and warmeth them in 
the dust ; and forgetteth that the foot may crush 
them, or that the wild beast may break them. 
She is hardened against her young, as though 
they were not hers." 

But this instinctive love is limited, in the case 
of inferior animals, to the mere physical wants 
of their young, and seems to expend itself at the 
earliest point of self-dependence. Scarcely has 
the parent bird cast her brood out of their nest 
ere she abandons them. She gives her newly 
fledged offspring one or two lessons on the wing, 
and then she leaves them to their destiny. She 



14 CHILDREN GOD'S HERITAGE. 

never more recognizes them as her children, nor 
do they recognize her as then parent. The power 
of instinct has subserved the purposes of Provi- 
dence, and henceforth is wholly inoperative. 

But this is far from being the case in respect 
to human beings. At that very period, where the 
lower animals abandon then young, begins to 
operate that high moral care which, having instinc- 
tive love as its base, .rises and reaches to the very 
termination of the child's earthly existence. It is 
this moral feature which mainly distinguishes us 
from the lower grade of animated existence, — a 
distinction which stamps the one as merely mor- 
tal, and the other as immortal and accountable. 
The higher relations are here recognized; those 
which link us to a future and endless existence. 
Regarding our offspring as related to both worlds, 
the present and the future, we are anxious to 
prepare them for both ; to fit them for then brief 
sojourn on earth, but especially for then high, 
and, as we hope, glorious destiny in eternity. 

PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITY. 

This feeling of parental responsibility meets us 
in the early stages of our children's being. At 
first, we are mainly anxious to administer the 



CHILDREN COD'S HERITAGE. 15 

nurture, and afford the care which shall sustain 
and strengthen the languid functions of life. It 
seems as if the spark which has just been lighted, 
would expire, if a rude breath should fall upon 
it. And oft-times it does. Hence the anxiety 
and vigilance are with reference, in the first 
instance, principally to its physical wants. 

But soon another care succeeds. The eye has 
brightened into intelligence. It looks abroad, and 
seems to inquire into the circumstances of its 
being. It throws back the responsive glance of 
affection. Its eye flashes with anger, or moistens 
with the tear of disappointment. The passions 
begin to be developed. There is a will and a 
won't, that are seen in the pantomimic exhibitions 
of its limbs and features, ere it can embody them 
in words. Eapid is the progress now in emotions 
and principles. Its moral education has begun ; 
and the parental relation, at this point, is felt to 
be one of solemnity and responsibility. There is 
no getting away from a position which the God of 
nature has assigned, nor any possibility of casting 
upon others obligations which he, by the very 
nature of the case, upon ourselves. The inter- 
vention of nurses and teachers may be necessary, 
but their conduct towards our children is, in a 
sense, our own ; for we are responsible for then 



16 CHILDREN GOD'S HERITAGE. 

influence j inasmuch as we employ them for a 
specific and well understood purpose. If a vi.i- 
lant supervision be not had of those, to whom we 
may feel ourselves compelled to commit the nur- 
ture of the body, and the mind, and the soul, : : 
our offspring, the result may be lamented when it 
cannot be repaired. Xo being in the universe 
can come between us and our parental responsi- 
bilities. 

These begin to operate with force, we - ay, at a 
very early period. I shall not define, as I am not 
able to define, the precise point of time. I: may 
be somewhat earlier in one, and later in another. 
The observing parent is the best judge as to when 
the moral principles begin to develop, and when, 
accordingly, the moral discipline should be ap- 
plied. Stationed by the Almighty at the fountain 
head of existence, he is to observe when and in 
what direction the stream begins to flow. He is 
to notice whether it is clear or turbid ; whether it 
is acrid or sweet. He is, however, to be more 
than a passive spectator of this development. 
Instinct unites with duty, in claiming his untiring 
energies in strengthening what is good, and coun- 
teracting what is evil. The period of direct 
parental influence is short, since the mould of 
character is quickly taken. 



CHILDREN GOD'S HERITAGE. 17 



DUTIES WHICH GROW OUT OF THE PARENTAL 
RELATION. 

We will now take a brief view of some of the 
specific duties, which grow out of the parental 
relation. They may be arranged under three 
heads, corresponding with the physical, intellect- 
ual, and religious necessities of our children. 

Physical Training. 

The physical education of children belongs 
more properly to the medical than to the theologi- 
cal instructor. I should, therefore, waive any 
remarks on the subject, did I not feel that there 
was a connection, even though it may be a some- 
what remote one, between the healthy and well 
adjusted powers of the body, and the improve- 
ment of the mind and heart. 

The parent who has a just regard to his re- 
sponsibilities, will feel bound to use every effort 
in his power, to lay a foundation for the future 
happiness and usefulness of his children. These 
ends he can scarcely hope to secure, if their 
physical development and vigor be not carefully 
attended to. A sickly frame may be, sometimes 



18 CHILDREN GOD'S HERITAGE. 

is, the sad inheritance of youth. The bud that 
shoots towards perfection will sometimes, from 
inscrutable causes, never expand into a flower, and 
the blossoms that bespangle the tree, are no cer- 
tain index of the quantity of fruit that is to suc- 
ceed. So in the higher field of youthful promise 
and culture, we are saddened by some secret 
canker, which seems silently to be gnawing at the 
root; indicating its ravages, in the languid eye, 
the livid cheek, and the emaciated form. 

Inherited diseases are as difficult of explanation 
as is inherited depravity. In both we are con- 
fined to ultimate facts, and in neither should we 
question the justice of God. But let not the 
sad result of premature weakness be traceable to 
parental delinquency. The child should not have 
it in his power to say, 'If you had given me 
more scope in the athletic exercises which I 
needed ; or had been less careful to preserve my 
delicacy of complexion, or my gracefulness of 
form, by in-door confinement, or artificial re- 
straints ; instead of this premature weakness, I 
might have fulfilled your hopes and realized my 
own.' 

Does the parent wish to see his child reveling, 
if I may use a rather equivocal term, in all the 
luxury of health ; happy from mere physical per- 



CHILDREN GOD'S HERITAGE. 19 

fection : ready to commune with, all the sweet 
influences of nature ; with elasticity in the step, 
fire in the eye, and serenity on the brow ; then 
let that parent leave no expedient untried in order 
to bring about so desirable a result. But on this 
head I will not enlarge. 

There is a connection, however, between the 
health of the body and the mind's culture ; at 
least I see not how the latter can be attained, or, 
if attained, can be made available, to any great 
extent, without the former. The intellect may 
indeed be cultivated at the expense of corporeal 
vigor ; but how much less efficient for good will 
the individual be, than if he possessed a sound 
mind in a sound body ! The pressure of ambi- 
tion is sometimes fatal to the health of the youth- 
ful aspirant. At a time when his body needs 
room to expand, it is nailed to the study-bench, 
and the delicate brain is overtasked at a time when 
the muscles should be developed. Thus have 
disease and death stood ready to snatch the laurel 
from the young brow, and bind around it instead 
the fillets of the grave. 

There is a connection, also, between physical 
health and the moral faculties, which might be 
traced out did circumstances permit ; but as I 
wish to reach, as soon as possible, my main object, 



20 CHILDREN GOD'S HERITAGE. 

viz., the religious culture of our children, I must 
dismiss it with a single remark or two. 

I will say this, — no young person can bring to 
God a too perfect offering. He cannot make this 
consecration as available in sickness as he can in 
health. He cannot serve God as efficiently. He 
cannot see as clearly, nor carry out as vigorously, 
the great moral principles which should sway him, 
in a debilitated as he can in a healthy frame. 
That perfection of mind and body, regarded as so 
necessary in less responsible pursuits, is surely as 
needful, in the prosecution of the highest which 
mortals can pursue. The influence of the parent 
then, in promoting the health of his offspring, 
may reach and affect the operations of the intellect 
and the culture of the moral faculties ; and this 
is my apology, if any were needed, for pointing 
out a duty connected with the parental relation, 
too seldom contemplated and too carelessly ob- 
served. 

Intellectual Training. 

In respect to intellectual training, we are met 
with a difficulty, which must naturally occur to 
every one reflecting on the subject, namely, how 
few parents have the. ability, even if they had the 



CHILDREN GOD'S HERITAGE. 21 

time, to guide the opening faculties of their off- 
spring ! This must be confided, almost of neces- 
sity, to others. The child, at a very early period, 
must be committed to the elementary teacher. He 
must be passed along through several grades of 
instructors, until his education is pronounced com- 
plete. Few parents have much to do — or ivish to 
have — in forming the intellectual habits of their 
children. From necessity, or from choice, they 
prefer to have their children's minds under the 
training of others. But on this branch of my sub- 
ject I am compelled, from moral considerations, to 
be brief. I am not here to devolve on every 
parent the intellectual training of his children. I 
would not, if I could, take them out of the instruc- 
tor's hands. It would be preposterous to think of 
such a course. All I intend, by the responsibility 
in question, relates principally to a very early 
period of life. 

The mind, no less than the temper and the dis- 
position, is developed under the parental eye. The 
early intellectual bias is very much under the con- 
trol of intelligent parental influence. The mental 
peculiarities of the child should be studied. Xo 
two are precisely alike ; and in a large family, the 
diversity, even under a uniform economy, is often 
very striking. Adaptation then should mark as 



22 CHILDREN GOD'S HERITAGE. 

much the mental guidance, as it should the moral 
discipline. Our children are thinking beings. 
Thought in them is forcible, because fresh. Mind 
develops with startling rapidity. The foundation 
is soon laid ; and the superstructure cannot be 
massive and grand, if the basis on which we pro- 
pose to raise it be essentially defective. You all 
wish your children to act well their part in life. 
You know not what stations they may be called to 
fill ; or what destiny, even in this world, awaits 
them. All this is with God. But a most impor- 
tant duty, next to their salvation, is to see that they 
are prepared to meet and discharge the reponsibil- 
ities of life. If they have mind, it is our business 
to discern it ; and if possessed of the means, to give 
it free scope. In this country, education is better 
than wealth, and modest self-reliance a thousand- 
fold better patrimony than paternal acres. The 
very happiness of our children is connected with 
their personally developed energies. " I leave 
you," said a man of wealth to one of his heirs, 
" this great property, in the hope that you may 
have as much pleasure in spending, as I have had 
in accumulating it." Vain hope ! How could 
the prodigal ever realize it ! No ; it is in tasking 
the energies ; in encountering and overcoming diffi- 
culties ; in the stimulus of necessity and of hope ; in 



CHILDREN GOD'S HERITAGE. 23 

the outlay of mind and muscle — it is in these, that 
the character is formed, and the zest of life en- 
joyed. But these the luxurious heir could never 
know. How much better, then, regarding even 
the present happiness of our children, is a well- 
trained mind, and a good moral character, than all 
the pride and luxury of wealth ? 

Religious Training. 

The training of the intellect, according to its 
grade and character, though important, is not a 
work of so great responsibility as that religious 
culture, necessary to fit the soul for the future as 
well as for the present world. It is this depart- 
ment of duty which I shall hope to explain and 
to illustrate, trusting that the God of Abraham 
will give us grace to " command our children, and 
our households after us, to keep the way of the 
Lord ; to do justice and judgment." Though 
addressing myself chiefly to those who have made 
a profession of religion ; I would be understood 
as addressing all who sustain the parental relation ; 
who have children to train, and household duties 
to perform. The duty of a Christian parent is 
the duty of all parents. By a connection with 
the visible church, obligation may be enhanced, 



2-1 CHILDREN GOD*S HERITAGE. 

but cannot be created. If it is my duty to offer 
up my child to God, on the ground that the child 
is God's, and that I am to recognize his property 
in it, is it less the duty of another parent to do 
this ? But it is replied, " I am not a professor 
myself : I have never given myself to God ; and 
why should I present the inconsistency of doing 
that for my child which I have not done for 
myself V It is true, that you could not in faith 
and sincerity consecrate your child, whilst you are 
unwilling to give yourself unto God. But the 
duty you owe your child, involves the duty which 
you owe your own soul. There is no impediment 
to your giving up your child, if you will first 
give yourself to God. It is, in my opinion, your 
duty to do both. But in the order of time and 
of consistency, the self-consecration should come 
first Then will you be prepared to say, in the 
lansrua^e of faith. K Here Lord am I, and the 
children which thou hast given me. ?? 

I close by repeating what I said at the begin- 
ning, that never was there a time when religious 
education and household consecration were more 
important, or their neglect more disastrous. The 
prosperity of Zion depends upon them. The 
conservative principles of the social and civil 
organization cannot be maintained without them. 



CHILDREN GOD'S HERITAGE. 25 

No other so effectual barrier can we rear up 
against vice and error. But above all, the happi- 
ness of our children, in this life and that which 
is to come, is involved in them. If we neglect 
these duties, our repentance may come too late ; it 
may be protracted as long as their misery. 

INCENTIVES TO WATCHFULNESS. 

Look abroad on the city of our habitation ! 
See the lures which are held out, and the pit-falls 
which are dug along the path which our children's 
feet must tread ! See how many a gateway to 
hell is thrown open before them, whilst its por- 
tals are wreathed with flowers to conceal the dark 
descent and the dreadful interior. Places, which 
were once the resort of instruction and recreation, 
are now primary schools of death, in which a love 
for the drama is inculcated, and those tastes are 
fostered, which in after life will demand indul- 
gence on a larger scale. I need only allude to 
other and still grosser temptations. The city is 
full of them. Unavoidably our children breathe a 
somewhat pestilential air, and walk amid smoul- 
dering fires. Can they walk, unhurt, without the 
guardian angel, religion ? Must not the fear of 
God follow them, where the parental eye cannot 
3 



26 CHILDREN GOD'S HERITAGE. 

go ? Will you trust them to a self-sustained 
virtue, amid temptations so powerful ? Oh no ; 
when you have done all that a parent can do, 
by example and by precept, call around them a 
spiritual defence which, like the chariots of fire 
around the Prophet, shall be the unseen but 
effectual body-guard of then' virtue. 



CHAPTER II. 

IN WHAT PRINCIPLES SHOULD CHILDREN BE 
EDUCATED r 

Principle and practice — theories of the moral state — infant depravity — the 
papistical theory, including- baptismal regeneration — another theory, viz., 
that which makes depravity to depend on circumstances — still another 
theory — these theories of depravity examined and refuted. 

u The nurture and admonition of the Lord/' 
is that moral and religious training which the Lord 
approves. Admonition embraces more especially 
the means used in such training, viz., those 
instructions, exhortations and counsels which the 
word of God furnishes ; and which are to be 
constantly and faithfully applied in a religious 
education. 

PRINCIPLE AND PRACTICE. 

In order to ascertain the way or method which 
God approves, in the training of our offspring, 
we are to consider both principle and practice. 



28 IN WHAT PRINCIPLES 

The former respects the theory (doctrinal; which 
we adopt ; and the latter, the natural results of 
that theory in instruction and discipline. If our 
theory of religious belief be wrong, our practice 
will very naturally and necessarily be so too. It is 
of immense importance, therefore, that we should 
entertain right views of God's truth ; that we 
should understand also what the nature of the soil 
is, which we propose to cultivate, and how it may 
be made to produce the fruit which God demands, 
and which the Christian parent so earnestly de- 
sires. 

THEORIES OF THE MORAL STATE. 

The most common theory of the moral state or 
condition of the child is. that it has a depraved 
nature ; that, as a component part of the race, it is 
born in sin, and partakes in some manner, myste- 
rious to us, of the impurity and vicious propensities 
consequent upon the fall. In common language. 
its nature is said to be sinful. This idea is recog- 
nized by those who practice infant baptism. The 
baptismal rite being symbolical, shadows forth the 
guilt of original sin : the necessity of being washed 
in the waters of regeneration : and intimates the 
hope or belief that such an inward cleansing may 
be experienced. 



SHOULD CHILDREN BE EDUCATED. 29 

The papist actually affirms that, in this symbol- 
ical transaction, spiritual regeneration takes place. 
So also do some others, who, though not papists in 
name, are so by affinity, and also in the adoption 
of this and some other papistical tenets. But 
Protestants generally, rather hope and pray for 
such a spiritual change in baptism, than believe 
that it invariably takes place. They however by 
this rite do recognize the original moral corruption 
of their children, and their need of the renewing 
and cleansing influences of the Holy Spirit. 

Starting from the same point, it is seen that 
Christians may diverge into opposite paths. Unit- 
ing in the belief of infant depravity, they may 
disagree in the method of removing or counteract- 
ing it ; some holding that baptism is effectual to 
that end ; and others holding that baptism is only 
a recognition of the need of salvation which higher 
influences must combine to effect. 

It is easy to see that these contrary views will 
modify very greatly the course of instruction, 
according as the one or the other of these theories 
in regard to baptism is adopted. In the one case, 
the child will be considered by baptism a Chris- 
tian ; a member of the invisible as well as the 
visible church. He will be addressed as a Chris- 
tian ; and, so soon as he comes to a proper age, he 



30 IX WHAT PRINCIPLES 

will be encouraged to participate in the remaining 
ordinances of the church. No new phases of 
religious experience will be looked for. If, as he 
grows up, he casts off religious restraints, and 
indulges in the vices and follies of the wicked, it 
will be regarded as an instance of backsliding from 
a state of grace, to which repentance may recover 
him. But still it will be insisted, that his Chris- 
tian character was formed in baptism. His regen- 
eration having then taken place, no new or radical 
change is thereafter to be expected. 

The point of importance in this theory is, can it 
be true ? Does baptism, by an authorized priest- 
hood, always confer the qualification for heaven I 
The answer we are willing to refer to the common 
sense of mankind. 

But where this theory exists ; where it is believed 
and acted upon, the following effects will naturally 
ensue. The child being considered in a state of 
safety — prepared by baptism for heaven — will not 
be the subject of anxiety in this respect. The pa- 
rent will not of course pray for its salvation. Such 
a prayer would, on the supposition, be superfluous. 
The mind is set at rest on this point. Nor will 
the parent be likely to treat the child, as it comes 
to a state of intelligent action, as he would, if he 
held other notions of- the efficacy of baptism. Its 



SHOULD CHILDREN BE EDUCATED. 31 

training will respect other attainments, than those 
which relate to the spiritual world. These latter 
he will say, are within the appropriate sphere of 
the priesthood. Its spiritual welfare being thus 
amply secured, according to the prescribed rites of 
the church, what has the parent meanwhile to do, 
but to shape its destiny for this world. His great 
care will therefore naturally be, its introduction 
into society — its success in business — and its repu- 
tation among men. 



ANOTHER THEORY. 

There is another theory of so called Christian 
education, which differs from this (the papistical) 
in some things, but agrees with it in others. It 
makes the child's depravity to depend on circum- 
stances. It assumes that the soul of the child is 
as much propense to good as to evil ; that if we 
cannot attribute imiate holy tendencies, neither can 
we assert an original sinful bias ; and that educa- 
tion may, under favorable circumstances, develop 
an acceptable piety. Some boldly assume this 
ground, and others lean very strongly towards it. 
Depravity is referred not to the nature of the 
soul ; but rather to the contaminating casement in 
which it seems to be unfortunately lodged. The 



32 IN WHAT PRINCIPLES 

passions springing in advance out of the animal 
organization, take captive trie soul, in its first 
essays at moral action ; so that in every instance, 
the soul becomes depraved. The blameworthiness 
begins, when the soul yields to such an assault on 
the part of the animal propensities. Were it only 
to make a successful resistance, it is thought holi- 
ness, instead of sin, would be developed. But 
such a successful resistance, it seems, has never yet 
been made ; and so depravity, as a practical tiring, 
is admitted to be universal. 

It would seem, in this case, that the human 
nature is like a house divided against itself. The 
soul is well enough ; and by nature pure enough ; 
but there is some tiling wrong in the body. Mat- 
ter is endowed with something selfish and spiteful, 
and makes war upon the soul, the very moment 
the soul attains to accountability ; and so every 
child of Adam, like Adam himself, has here on 
earth a probation and a fall. The animal is in 
every instance the victor. 

This idea of depravity seems to have been 
propounded, with a view of relieving the character 
of God. It is thought that, according to the 
usually received doctrine, He might be liable to 
the charge of creating a depraved soul. To this 
I do not agree ; believing that God is no more 



SHOULD CHILDREN BE EDUCATED. 33 

liable to such an imputation on the ground of 
natural than of circumstantial depravity ; and that 
man is not called upon to help him out of any 
such seeming embarrassment. 

This system, I have said, harmonizes in some 
respects with that which makes an act of the 
priesthood a means of regenerating the child. The 
point of contact in the two theories is this. They 
both get rid of depravity in infancy ; the one by 
an official act of a church officer, and the other by 
denying original sin. We have seen what the 
practical effect of the first named theory is, on the 
training of the child. Let us see what the effect 
of the other would naturally be. 

You believe, for instance, that every child's soul 
is pure ; or at least that it is not sinful. Now the 
first effect of this belief, I should think, would be, 
to make you neglect its baptism ; which is a rec- 
ognition of its native depravity, and its consequent 
need of the cleansing blood of Christ, Surely if 
the soul is not sinful, it needs no washing until it 
is. Why should the blood of Christ be accounted 
necessary where there is no sin. Hence, as ap- 
pears to me, the practical effect will be, not as in 
the case before supposed, (the papistical,) to make 
baptism all important, but to make it of no impor- 
tance — a superfluous and unmeaning rite. 



34 EN WHAT PRINCIPLES 

The man who believes that the regeneration and 
salvation of his child, depends on its baptism by a 
priest, would be guilty of soul niurder, if he should 
neglect to have it baptized. But in the case sup- 
posed, there is no need of regeneration by water, 
or by anything else : for, according to the theoiy. 
the child's soul is now free from sin. 

Another effect of such a belief (the natural pu- 
rity of the child) will be to exonerate the parents 
from the duty of prayer in behalf of the child's 
salvation. The parent may consistently pray that 
God would prolong its life. Consistently did I 
say ? No : if it is not a shiner, and its living a 
few years longer will be sure to make it such, why 
should not disinterested love rather pray for its de- 
parture ? The parent may pray for its victory 
over temptation ; for its security against that mo- 
ment when the animal propensities shall make war 
upon its native purity. He may pray also for its 
earthly prosperity : but how he can pray that God 
would regenerate or new-create the soul, I cannot 
see. 

Another effect of this theoiy would be, as I ap- 
prehend, to set the parent to work in a course of 
ascetic discipline. He must attack the animal pro- 
pensities, which, according to the supposition, are 
the main cause of its depravity. He must give 



SHOULD CHILDREN BE EDUCATED. 35 

the child to understand that self-mortification is 
the road to holiness, The child must be told that 
his soul is in danger of perdition, not from its 
native or inherent depravity, but from the influ- 
ence of the animal passions and propensities : and 
that eternal life is a result of the successful resist- 
ance of the animal nature. 

Xow though such mortification of the flesh is 
all-important as a part of Christian discipline, and 
may be pursued on entirely different principles 
from those just referred to, still, where such asceti- 
cism is put in place of the Spirit's work, and of 
purifying grace, it is easy to see to what a fatal 
result it may lead. You cannot contemplate this 
theoiy without perceiving how, from beginning to 
end, it is at variance with the true gospel doc- 
trine. 

STILL ANOTHER THEORY. 

There has been broached still another theory of 
Christian nurture, which neither denies our natural 
depravity, nor subscribes to baptismal regeneration, 
but which insists, that a Christian patent may, by 
his faith and by his example, form the soul of his 
child to a Christian pattern. 

This system of Christian nurture ^oes on the 



36 IN WHAT PRINCIPLES 

assumption that a seminal or propagative piety is 
to be expected ; God having ordained that a moral 
likeness shall grow between parent and child, just 
as he has ordained that a vegetable likeness shall 
grow between a plant and its offshoots. It seems 
to suppose that, as in physical conformation and 
features and expression, so also in virtue and piety, 
there is to be expected a correspondence between 
the Christian parent and his offspring. This is a 
nice point, which needs to be carefully examined 
before it is received or practically adopted. Such 
a theory has been broached and denominated 
Christian. It has been maintained by arguments 
drawn professedly from the Bible, as well as from 
reason. 

Without rejecting this system in all its parts, 
we shall attempt to discriminate between what we 
consider erroneous in it, and what it appears to 
contain of truth. There are some features of this 
scheme which seem to find countenance in the 
word of God. The covenant made with Abra- 
ham, having reference to believers to the end of 
time, and including " the promise which is to us 
and to our children," seems to lend some plausi- 
bility to it. Then again, if Christian parents, by 
their covenant relation, and a faithful training 
under that covenant, may form their child to holi- 



SHOULD CHILDREN BE EDUCATED. 37 

ness, it lays the ground for a most solemn appeal 
to their conscience, which of itself would, in the 
estimation of many, commend the theory to accept- 
ance. But, as a distinguished civilian once said, 
"Nothing is beautiful that is not true" Our great 
aim should be, truth. All our instructions, espe- 
cially those which are to mould the soul's future 
destiny, should be founded in God's truth. It is 
perilous to fall into a mistake on a subject of such 
weight and importance. 

How much then, of truth, is there in this 
theory? What and how great is the error? I 
answer, It is true there is a connection instituted 
by God between the faithful training and holy 
example of Christian parents, and the conversion 
and salvation of their children. Would God bid 
us acknowledge them as his heritage ; would he 
call them ceremonially clean, (see 1 Cor. vii. 14 ;) 
tell us that u the promise is to us and to our chil- 
dren ; " and all without any meaning ? Certainly 
he would not. Would Paul commend Timothy's 
piety, on the ground that the same piety dwelt in 
his ancestry — his mother and his grandmother — 
if there was no promise or pledge of spiritual 
good to faithful efforts in the religious education 
of our offspring ? Figuratively speaking, you 
may call this a seminal piety. But it will not do 



38 IN WHAT PRINCIPLES 

to say that the parent forms the child to holiness, 
except as the appropriate instrument or agent, 
under God, and whom God may appropriately 
employ for this end. 

The child of Christian parents is, by nature, no 
wise different from the child of any other person. 
" It is born in sin, and shapen in iniquity." As 
Dr. Henry quaintly remarks, " Grace does not run 
in the blood, but corruption does : a sinner begets 
a sinner; but a saint does not beget a saint." 
Hence the analogy fails, of seminal likeness. It 
is not as where the seed produces its like in the 
vegetable world. The pious parent represents the 
good tree whose fruit (morally) is good. But 
their children are not born any more holy or pro- 
pense to holiness than the children of others. 
" They are by nature the children of wrath, even 
as others." In respect to character and responsi- 
bility, we do maintain an individualism in the 
children. If in features and disposition they 
resemble the parent, as we know they often do, 
so do they resemble them in their sinful nature. 
This they always do. It was the case with Seth, 
at whose birth it was said, " And Adam begat a 
son in his own likeness." The seminal likeness 
respects nature, not grace. 

What advantage then, it may be asked, have 



SHOULD CHILDREN BE EDUCATED. 39 

the children of pious parents oyer others ? " Much, 
every way." Not, however, in being born with a 
better nature, but in being born under better 
auspices; circumstances more favorable to their 
salvation. The parent's relation to God, and to 
the Christian church, brings around the child a 
combination of appropriate means, which are not 
unfrequently blessed to its conversion and salva- 
tion. Though born with a sinful nature, there is 
a relation which it sustains, a covenant relation — 
a term which we are authorized to use, and which, 
we love to use — which lays a ground of hope, that 
the faith which dwells in the parent, will also, by 
the grace of God, be vouchsafed to the child. 

It is on this ground that the parent brings it to 
God's altar, and puts upon it the name of the 
triune Jehovah, and assumes the obligation of 
training it up " in the nurture and admonition of 
the Lord." 

The unconscious immortal, in advance of its 
opening reason, thus becomes the object of spirit- 
ual interest, solicitude and prayer. No sooner 
does it give signs of intelligence and moral sus- 
ceptibility, than a course of training commences, 
having reference to its enlightenment and salva- 
tion. Its earliest thoughts are turned heavenward. 



40 IN WHAT PRINCIPLES 

Its first lisping lessons are from the oracles of 
God. This is surely something in its favor. 

But we do not agree, according to the theory in 
question, that the child, even under such favorable 
influences, will always develop a pious character, 
with the same certainty as the seed will produce 
the flower which is wrapped up in it. Nor do 
we agree that, in its immature state, the child has 
no character but that which it derives from paren- 
tal influence. We hold that there is a moral state 
of the soul irrespective of that influence, and 
anterior to it ; a natural depravity which parental 
influence cannot eradicate. This is the work of 
God's Spirit. It may take place before parental 
influence can be felt, or it may never take place. 
Parental influence may be sanctified to its removal, 
or it may remain in despite of such influence. 
Facts bear us out in these assertions. There is 
hope ; there is promise ; and this is all we can 
say. Hope and promise are stimulus enough. 
They are enough for adults in respect to their sal- 
vation ; they are enough in laboring for the salva- 
tion of our children. 

The theory in question seems in fact, though 
not in words, to deny the depravity of our nature. 
If the child takes its moral character from that of 
the parent ; if the seminal principle of piety must 



SHOULD CHILDREN BE EDUCATED. 41 

be supposed to exist from its birth, where is the 
proof that it is born in sin ? If the parent is to 
expect a development of piety, on the same prin- 
ciple that he expects the flower to develop from 
the seed ; and if parental influence is but the 
educing or culture of such piety, even though we 
admit the consentaneous influence of the Spirit, 
as we admit the need of rain and sun-shine, will 
it not seem as if depravity were not born with us ? 
What becomes of the doctrine of original sin on 
this theory ? What becomes of the necessity of 
regeneration founded on it ? 

Such, it seems to me, are some of the errors 
growing out of this organic theory of moral char- 
acter, and of that Christian nurture, which is 
modified and moulded by it. 

What then is the true theory? What is the 
Bible method of Christian education ? In what 
way is it to be prosecuted ; and what results may 
be expected ? It cannot be on the ground that an 
act of the priesthood will confer regeneration ; nor 
on the ground that our children are born free 
from sin ; nor, again, on the assumption that piety 
is propagated from parent to child; all these 
theories are in conflict with facts and with the 
word of God. Let us not then build upon them, 
nor shape the child's destiny according to them. 
4 



42 IN WHAT PRINCIPLES, &C. 

The subject is one of vast moment. Every parent 
and every child is deeply concerned to know what 
is the true scriptural mode of training the soul 
for happiness and for heaven. We cannot reach 
a safe and satisfactory conclusion, except by a 
rigid adherence to God's word. The Bible is our 
only guide. Let us, then, in this respect, as in 
every other, make it the man of our counsel ; 
remembering that the wisest of men has pro- 
pounded and answered the question, 'Where- 
withal shall a young heart cleanse its way ? By 
taking heed thereto according to thy word.' 



CHAPTER in. 

CHILDREN BORN IN SIN. 

The scriptural theory of depravity — a first principle, that we are born in 
sin — depravity to be referred to the soul, not the animal nature — sin the 
natural state, and holiness the gracious state — some sanctified in infancy 
— declaration in regard to infant salvation, and on what grounds — all 
children indicate depravity in some form — when are children proper 
subjects of prayer ? — the relation of infant baptism to original sin — ob- 
jection to infant baptism founded on the " cui bono " principle — this 
objection considered — repudiation of infant baptism on the ground, that 
it is mystical or superstitious — another objection considered, viz., that it 
leads to neglect other means of grace — the practical effect of our theory — 
leading to earnest prayer for the child's regeneration — the idea repelled, 
that our views lead us to expect the child will grow up in sin — baptismal 
obligations an auxiliary influence in the discharge of parental duty. 

In stating our objections to the theories ani- 
madverted upon, we may have incidentally devel- 
oped some of the features, at least, of what we 
consider the true theory. 

"We begin, however, by saying, that a first 
principle is, that our children, like ourselves, are 
born in sin ; that this depravity does not reside in 
the animal propensities, but in the soul itself. We 
have no conceptions of sin which are not referable 
to the moral part of our nature. 



44 CHILDREN BORN IN SIN. 

Another principle is, that sin is the natural 
state, and holiness the gracious state. If, there- 
fore, a child develop a holy disposition, we are to 
infer a change of heart in infancy, by the grace 
of God. Such appears to have been the case with 
Samuel in the Old, and with John the Baptist in 
the New Testament. Many others, thousands 
perhaps, are also born again, soon after they 
experience the first or natural birth. Myriads, 
we hope, of this description, having died in 
infancy, are now in heaven, and myriads more 
may follow in the train. 

Parents discover, at a very early age, a natural 
repellancy to the truth, in the hearts even of their 
most amiable children. There is an indifference, 
at least, often a positive and manifested dislike. 
It is in vain to say, as some have said, that this is 
owing to the manner in which the truth is pre- 
sented to its young mind. Present it when you 
will, with whatever tenderness, and in the most 
unexceptionable maimer, you will still find an 
indifference, if not an opposition, in the selfish 
heart of sin. All the fine-spun theories of relig- 
ious education which have been woven, will never 
reconcile the natural heart to the self-denying 
truths of the gospel. You may give that heart 
something which is not "the gospel, but which may 



CHILDREN BORN IN SIN. 45 

go under that name, and win its approbation. But 
the carnal mind exists in even the child ; and that 
" carnal mind is enmity against God." Sad as this 
truth is, it must be admitted as a first principle in 
any system of Christian nurture, which professes 
to be founded on the Bible. 

Another principle is, that where in infancy such 
a change of heart takes place, it will be the de- 
lightful task of Christian nurture to develop it. 
It will come out as naturally under pious tutelage, 
as the bud opens in beauty beneath the sunbeam. 
But where this change of heart, from a sinful to 
a holy state^ is not wrought by God's Spirit, no 
nurture, of itself, can produce it. The soil must 
be prepared for the seed ; and who but God can 
give this preparation ? 



ARE INFANTS SAVED? 

It will not be inappropriate, just here, to meet 
a question which the subject may have suggested 
to some minds, viz.,, whether all who die in 
infancy are taken to heaven ; and, if so^ on what 
grounds ? The papist will answer the question 
of infant salvation as follows : — Without baptism 
within the papal church, he will say, they cannot 
be saved. Consistency obliges him to take this 



46 CHILDREN BORN IN SIX. 

ground. They who embrace the theory of native 
purity; — that is, that the soul of an infant is 
without sin, — believe in infant salvation of course. 
Their idea is, that the soul goes to heaven on the 
ground of its own native purity. It needs no re- 
generation, even by baptism. But do we, who be- 
lieve in the native depravity or sinfulness of man, 
believe also in infant salvation ? I answer, for 
one, that I do. Not that God has told me, in so 
many words, that they are saved, but, inferen- 
tially, it seems to me that they are. I do not 
place their salvation, however, on the same 
grounds as the papist; believing that baptism, 
even by the pope himself, has no power either to 
regenerate or to sanctify the soul. Nor do I take 
the ground that the soul of the infant is pure, and 
therefore fit for heaven without regeneration. But 
I assume, that they who die in infancy,, are in- 
cluded in the plan of redemption ; and that God, 
having purposed to take them out of the world 
ere they reach the period of accountability, pur- 
posed also to prepare them for the change. He 
can wash the infant soul white in the blood of the 
Lamb ; and that blood-bought, blood-washed soul, 
may see and recognize, with all the rest of the 
redeemed, that its salvation was of grace ; and 
instead of complacently dwelling on its own native 



CHILDREN BORN IN SIN. 47 

purity, as it naturally would, if it entered heaven 
on that ground, it is prepared to join in the song, 
"Unto him that loved us, and washed us from 
our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings 
and priests unto God and his Father ; to him be 
glory and dominion for ever and ever ! " 

We have got to begin by making the tree 
good, if we expect to see the fruit good. This 
radical renovation is not, however, a matter of 
education. It is the act and the work of God's 
Holy Spirit. Our first care, then, should be to 
see that the ground is prepared. We are thus 
thrown, at once, and at first, in simple dependence 
on the power and grace of God. In Christian 
education let us begin with this concession, that 
the heart of the child must be prepared, as the 
soil is prepared, to receive the good seed which 
we propose to implant. This points out the duty 
of prayer for the conversion and salvation of our 
children. 

WHEN ARE CHILDREN PROPER SUBJECTS OF 
PRAYER ? 

A Christian parent, on our principles, should 
begin to pray for his child so soon as it has an ex- 
istence. Ere reason dawns, or conscious purposes 



18 CHILDREN BORN IN SIN. 

can be formed; or. peradventure, even the wfll 
is not exercised. — when there is sample exist- 
ence — a soul in its earliest buddings — we are, 
on the old scriptural ground of native depravity, 

to pray that God ; s Spirit would regenerate its soul. 
But how is this '. Do we believe that regenera- 
tion can take place when the soul is passive : 
when there can be no intelligent co-operation ::' 
the will? To this we reply, by asking, hi the 
other hand, if such souls need no change of heart 
to fit them for the kingdom of God I To assert 
it, is to deny native depi vity ; tc ieny Christ's 
repeated declaration. •'•' Ye must be born again/ 3 — 
a necessity based on the natural depravity of man. 
If children are depraved, they are. in the earliest 
stages of then being, subjected to the same neces- 
sity of regeneration, as if they had lived longer 
and sinned more. Many, we know, have experi- 
enced this change in infancy. In answer to prayer, 
young Samuel was regenerated. So was John the 
Baptist. They were no: created holy. Then 
nature was not, in this respect, different from 
others. Yet they were sanctified iron: the womb. 
In their case, the work of regenerating grace, (so 
far as we can understand,) must have taken place 
without an intelligent co-operation of the will, 
As they grew in stature, thev srew in knowledge 



CHILDREN BORN IX SIX. 49 

* 

and in grace. The seed sown by the divine Spirit 
in the young hearty long before the parent could 
have access to it 3 developed in a most striking 
manner in after life. And so thousands,, we trust, 
have in like manner experienced regeneration in 
then* infancy, many of whom have gone to people 
the better land, and others have remained to bless 
this fallen world. 

Christian parents have a right to pray for the 
regeneration of their children, in every stas;e of 
their being ; and moreover to expect it. Let them 
in faith give them up to God : bringing them to 
his altar, and thus formally recognizing his right 
in them, and his gracious promises respecting 
them ; and thenceforward let them look for the 
work of the Spirit on their hearts. Even when no 
evidence of such a change can, from the nature of 
the case, be given, let them hope for it ; and if the 
child, peradventure, be snatched from them by 
death, let them hope and believe that regeneration 
has p^e-pared it for the glorious transition. All 
this is plain and scriptural The Bible does not 
deal in a mystical philosophy. It does not wrap 
up the moral character of the child in the moral 
character of the parent, as the seed is wrapped up 
in the capsule ; making the development as natural 
and as homogeneous in the one case as in the 



50 CHILDREN BORN IN SIN. 

other. It has no such hard phrase as " the law 
of organic connection." It never trenches upon 
the individual responsibility. In all its social 
recognitions, it still keeps in view the individual, 
conscious soul, and pronounces upon the character 
of each. Each one is a lost sinner. No matter 
how young ; each has a nature tainted by sin. 
Each must be the subject of a distinct work of 
grace, in order to fit it for the kingdom of heaven. 
In all this we simply follow the Scriptures. " By 
one man sin entered into the world, and death 
by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for 
that all have sinned." " Death reigned from 
Adam to Moses." It reigned over young and 
old, because all were regarded as sinners, even 
though they had not transgressed, as Adam did, 
under the obligations of an express and particular 
law. 

What now is the relation of infant baptism to 
the sin (original) in question ? The papist, and 
some others who tread closely in his steps, will 
say, ff Baptism regenerates ; it changes the heart." 
I need not stop to answer or disprove this. But 
what is our view of infant baptism in relation to 
this doctrine — original sin ? We say, that it 
recognizes its deep stain, and points to the only 
remedy, " the washing of regeneration and the 



CHILDREN BORN IN SIN. 51 

renewing of the Holy Ghost." In this rite, the 
parent professes his faith in these great doctrines ; 
recognizes the fallen state of his child, and the 
necessity of redemption by the blood of Jesus. 
In this tacit or symbolical profession of faith, he 
engages to pray for the regeneration of the child ; 
to teach it to pray ; to instruct it in the word that 
sanctifies ; and thus to " bring it up in the nur- 
ture and admonition of the Lord." 



OBJECTIONS CONSIDERED. 

Here is something that all can understand. 
But what good, some may ask, accrues directly to 
the baptized child ? We cannot, with certainty, 
know what good will accrue to it. It may be, 
we trust it often is the case, that where such 
duty is performed in sincerity and in faith, the 
soul of the child will be visited by heavenly 
grace, and the seeds of a glorious harvest be then 
and there sown. The parent may hope and ex- 
pect and pray for such an inward change ; but he 
is too well read in his Bible to suppose that there 
is any mystical virtue, in the sacrament itself, to 
effect this change. Some repudiate infant bap- 
tism, on the ground that it is mystical and super- 
stitious ; that parents are apt to look upon it as a 



52 CHILDREN BORN IX SIX. 

sort of spiritual charm to work out the salvation 
of their children, and so be led to neglect other 
and more appropriate means of grace. The objec- 
tion, in my apprehension, is a vain one. Every 
good gift of God may be abused. Every precious 
ordinance may be perverted by ignorance or by 
hypocrisy. Some look upon the sacrament of the 
supper as a sacrifice ; and others declare that bap- 
tism is regeneration ; and some even make a great 
deal of the particular mode in which baptism is 
administered. Suppose we should say to the 
immersionist, your system tends to pharisaism, be- 
cause it makes so much of a mere form. This 
would be considered very uncharitable, and such 
a consequence of immersion-baptism would be 
strenuously denied. Well, then, let those who 
differ from us on this subject, give us the credit of 
an intelligent understanding of the ordinance as 
we practice it ■ and when we say that infant bap- 
tism is blessed to the furtherance of household 
piety, especially where its obligations are faithfully 
carried out, let them, as the sons and daughters of 
the same charitable religion, believe us sincere. 

We say, that so far from leading to a neglect of 
the religious training of our children, the bap- 
tismal vows bind us the more sacredly to its per- 
formance. We declare it as our opinion, more- 



CHILDREN BORN IN SIN. 53 

over, that parents who hold this ordinance dear, 
and conscientiously avail themselves of its privi- 
leges, are the ones who ordinarily labor and pray 
for the conversion and spiritual good of their 
households. Does not the church of God draw 
her strength from such households ; and, in revi- 
vals of religion, do we not find young converts 
assuming, in their own behalf, the vows which 
their parents had so solemnly taken for them ? 
Thus, u instead of the fathers are the children ; " 
and the perpetuity of the church, through the 
conversion of its infant members, verifies to be- 
lievers, that c the promise is to them and to their 
children. 5 

What is the practical effect of our theory, 
viz., that in baptism we recognize the native de- 
pravity of our children, and our dependence on 
the Holy Spirit to change the heart ? We have 
shown the effect in one particular, viz., to lead the 
parent to earnest prayer for regenerating grace. 
But another practical effect is, to watch the open- 
ing moral faculties ; to observe with Christian 
solicitude the development of character ; hoping, 
meanwhile, that his prayers may have been an- 
swered, and that, from the very outset of exist- 
ence, the evidences of piety may be discovered. 



54 CHILDREN BORN IN SIN. 

I mention this, because, as I believe, it is no 
uncommon expectation, on the part of those who 
value the Abrahamic covenant, and believe in the 
efficacy of prayer. 

Were we to adopt the theory of infant charac- 
ter, which makes depravity the result of tempta- 
tion, — assuming that the pollution lies in the 
body rather than in the soul, — how unreasonable 
it would be, considering the power of the animal 
propensities, to expect any early development of 
piety. But our trust in the promise and grace 
of God, that the soul, dark and depraved as it is 
by nature, will, in answer to prayer, be the early 
subject of renewing grace ; this trust leads us to 
look for an early development of piety. Should 
this happily prove to be the case, how easy and 
delightful will be the task of bringing the child 
up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord ! 
But even should no such marked tendency to 
divine things show itself, in the opening charac- 
ter ; or should even an opposite tendency be seen, 
still will the Christian parent hope in his covenant 
God, believing that, sooner or later, under faithful 
training and admonition, the child of the covenant 
will become a child of God. 

It has been said, or insinuated, that our views 



CHILDREN BORN IN SIN. 55 

lead us to expect that the child will grow up in 
sin ; that conversion cannot, or, at least, will not 
take place until adult years, and so Christians are 
betrayed into a practical neglect of spiritual nur- 
ture. After what has been said, I see not how 
any such notions can reasonably or truthfully be 
charged upon us. I would not affirm that in no 
case, within our communion, such a perversion 
of the truth may not have taken place ; but in 
the name of all our intelligent and devout mem- 
bers, I am prepared to deny its application to 
them. They do not expect their children to grow 
up in sin. They hope and pray for their conver- 
sion, in every period of then: existence. They go 
even farther back in their expectations than the 
persons who bring this charge. Such persons, 
peradventure, do not hold to the necessity of a 
change of heart in infancy, — a state in which, 
they say, no sin exists in the soul. Naturally 
enough, then, would they not expect or pray for 
its regeneration. But believing, as we do, in its 
native sinfulness, we are led to pray for its regen- 
eration so soon as it has being. Thenceforward, 
depending on the grace of God, we are in con- 
stant expectation of a work of grace on the youth- 
ful heart. Every day witnesses to earnest prayer 



56 CHILDKEX BO&N EN SIX. 

for this grace ; and, so combining instruction with 
prayer, " we are as they that hope for the morn- 
ing.' 5 What a calumny it is, to say that we 
expect our children to grow up in sin ! It is not 
the case ; and, I trust in God, it never will be. 
If our children grow up in sin, it is in despite of 
our tears, our hopes, and our prayers. If ever 
the day should come when this allegation shall be 
true, it will be when the Abrahamic covenant is 
rejected; when infant baptism shall have fallen 
into neglect, and the vows and obligations which 
it implies are no longer publicly recognized. 

We need every auxiliary influence which can be 
lawfully brought to bear, to bind us to a faithful 
performance of parental duty. The God of Abra- 
ham has given us this sacred ligature. It is as 
one of the cords of love wherewith we are drawn 
to duty. Religion extends her dominion into the 
sanctuary of parental love, and claims both us and 
our children to her service. In all the varying 
phases of the church she has made provision for 
our offspring. In her ancient constitution they 
were especially provided for. The seal of the 
righteousness of faith must be affixed to them. 
They had to wear in their flesh the mark of God's 
heritage. The parent was bound to train them up 



CHILDREN BORN IN SIN. 57 

for God. How beautiful also the sight, when at 
an age susceptible of religious culture, they were 
brought to the temple, with appropriate sacrifices ; 
there to receive impressions which the solemnities 
of that worship were calculated to inspire. By 
covenant and by promise, children belonged to the 
kingdom of heaven. Hence said Jesus, c suffer 
them to come unto me, and forbid them not.' 

And does the same church of God, under its 
extended and renovated constitution, with better 
promises, with enlarged privileges, allow no place 
for the lambs of the flock, within her visible fold ? 
Assuredly this cannot be. 

The church has always acted on the assumption, 
that her privileges in this respect have not been 
curtailed. How interesting also, under the new 
covenant, is the moral spectacle, when those, to 
whom God has given children, are seen at his 
altar, with their precious charge ; recognizing 
God's right in them, recognizing their sinful state, 
their need of the regenerating Spirit, and offering 
them up with faith in the covenant which is well- 
ordered and sure ! 

Here is a bond that binds with a twofold 
strength. Parental love and religious faith twine 
around the unconscious immortal committed to our 
5 



58 CHILDREN BORN IN SIN. 

trust. Oh, never may the church see the day 
when indifference in regard to infant consecration 
shall be prevalent ! It would mark a sad era in 
her history ; nor would it require any prophetic 
inspiration to discern gathering around her destiny, 
the shadows of a fearful apostacy. 



CHAPTER IV. 

DUTY OF PARENTS TO THEIR UNCONVERTED 
CHILDREN. 

Children generally indicate a sinful rather than a gracious state — manifest 
at a very early age — parental influence, when should it begin — first, 
restraint of the passions — the responsible season for moral culture — chil- 
dren taught their relation to God — the idea of God, and its influence — 
conscience, when operative — moral ideas, how inculcated — the object 
which a Christian parent should keep in view — natural aptitude in the 
young mind to receive religious impressions — the being of God a great 
lever in the hand of the parent — how far natural religion aids us — the 
Bible, the great thesaurus of instruction — proper views of the divine 
character to be inculcated. 

Having laid the foundation of the true theoiy 
of Christian nurture, in the necessity of a change 
of heart, by which, speaking in a figure, the soil 
is prepared for the seed ; and, starting from this 
point, we may inquire, What is best adapted to 
further our proposed design ? 

If God shall see fit to change the heart in 
infancy, — which, as we have seen, Christian pa- 
rents may not unreasonably expect, — the work of 
Christian training will be comparatively easy. 
But as this blessed result is but too seldom real- 



60 DUTY OF PARENTS 

ized, we are to take the case in its more common 
aspect, as when our children are cast upon our 
tutelage, with the manifest indications of a self- 
ish and sin-loving heart. Meeting them at the 
threshold of existence, as their moral guardians, 
we are to exert upon them an influence which 
may tend to mould their characters into conformity 
to the will of God. This is Christian nurture ; 
whether it be applied to the more full develop- 
ment of Christian character, the seminal principle 
of which may have been implanted in infancy, or 
whether such training aim, by appropriate means, 
under God, at producing the first elements of 
piety. 

To some, the latter process may seem hardly to 
justify the use of the term, " Christian nurture ; " 
which, from the nature of the case, seems to 
suppose the cultivation of a seed already im- 
planted. But we take the expression in a more 
liberal and extended sense, just as we instruct a 
promiscuous assembly in the things of the king- 
dom of God. The same means will, at the same 
time, be blessed to the edification of one class, 
and to the conviction and conversion of another. 

It is hardly to be supposed that, when the 
Apostle enjoined it upon the Ephesians to " bring 
up their children in the nurture and admonition 



TO THEIR, UNCONVERTED CHILDREN. 61 

of the Lord/' he had in view only such children 
as were pious. Indeed, there is reason to believe 
that he had reference to the formation of piety, 
by God's appointed means, in the hearts of chil- 
dren as yet not under its governing influence. 

Most children, even of pious parents, do not, 
we lament to say, give early evidence of a change 
of heart. But may not the seeds of piety be in 
them, it has been asked, while yet the parent is 
ignorant of it ? Is it right to infer, because there 
are no manifest disclosures of pious tendencies, 
that therefore piety does not exist ? It is super- 
fluous, I should think, to put such inquiries. 
The question answers itself. A piety without 
evidence ! A plant without any leaf, bud or fra- 
grance ! How absurd ! If any where in God's 
creation, and among his creatures, the evidence of 
a moral change should be looked for, it is where 
the heart is yet in its unsophisticated state. It is 
when, as yet, the cold and chilling atmosphere 
of earth's influences have not fallen upon and 
blighted it. If in this early stage we see no 
proofs of piety, no development heavenward, we 
are obliged, I think, to infer, though with painful 
reluctance, that the child is not yet, by regenera- 
tion, a child of God. On this point, let us not 
deceive ourselves. Let us know the worst of the 



62 DUTY OF PARENTS 

case, that we may provide for it. Then shall we 
feel our responsibility, and begin, with prayerful 
earnestness, the work assigned us in its behalf. 

What is the work thus assigned us, and how 
are we to apply this nurture to the infantile state ? 

PARENTAL INFLUENCE, WHEN SHOULD IT BEGIN ? 

There is a period, I would observe, before 
divine truth can be understood or felt, when pa- 
rental influence should be exerted in restraining 
the motions of the flesh. It is perilous to allow 
a child to have its own way and will, even prior 
to the development of that intelligence which is 
requisite in order to oral instruction. A parent 
will sometimes say, c The little creature cannot 
now understand, and it would be cruel to restrain 
it until it can/ Parental love may easily find rea- 
sons, why every whim and wish of the selfish 
heart should be gratified. In this way, the evil 
passions may be prematurely developed and 
strengthened. How often is this the case ; and 
how deplorable is the result ! On the other hand, 
parental influence may be judiciously exerted, in 
restraining the outbreakings of petulance ; in 
counteracting the selfish and sensual tendencies ; 
and in calming down the ebulitions of passion. 



TO THEIR UNCONVERTED CHILDREN. 63 

The natural wants of the child being attended 
to, its caprices and passions should be steadily 
resisted. Who does not see that, by such a course 
of early discipline, the impediments to moral 
instruction, if not removed, will be less powerful 
than when a system of early and unlimited indul- 
gence is allowed ? We do not argue in favor of 
severity ; but we earnestly teach, that a steady 
and judicious opposition should be maintained, in 
this early stage of infant existence, to the mani- 
fested caprices and passions of its nature. It will 
then come into our moral school, — not, indeed, 
without a sinful nature, nor without selfish and 
sensual passions, — but in a far more hopeful con- 
dition for the reception of truth, and the implant- 
ation of virtuous principle. This point, I fear, 
is not enough considered in the practical discipline 
of children. Parents will sometimes coax and 
indulge, under circumstances when they ought 
calmly, but firmly, to resist. They will rack their 
invention to find out the means of pacifying the 
child, accumulating around it all the supposed 
objects of its desires, whilst the petulant little- 
creature is meanwhile casting away everything 
that is offered, and giving vent to the most out- 
rageous and unbridled passion. Such a course of 
treatment can surely be no otherwise than disas- 



64 DUTY OF PARENTS 

trous. At the period of moral intelligence, when 
the religious culture is to be applied, this indul- 
gent parent will find the work difficult, if not 
entirely hopeless. Often is such an one heard 
to say, ' I know not what to do with my child. 
I cannot make him do right. I have tried my 
utmost, 'and all my efforts seem to be ineffectual.' 
But this parent, mayhap, did not begin far enough 
back. He allowed parental love to get the ascend- 
ency of parental duty. He put the reins on the 
neck of passion, when it should have had the 
curb. What, therefore, can he expect, but resist- 
ance and rebellion ? 

The moral education can scarcely begin too 
soon. The first motions of the physical nature are 
the avenues to it. The first betrayal of passion is 
the signal for commencing it. The will is to be 
reached, ere the mind can be made intelligently to 
comprehend the discipline. This being well un- 
derstood and acted upon, there will be far less 
difficulty when the opening mind is to be affected 
by religious instruction. 

THE RESPONSIBLE SEASON FOR MORAL CULTURE. 

"We have now arrived at a point of absorbing 
interest in the educational process ; when the 



TO THEIR UNCONVERTED CHILDREN. 65 

moral character shows itself more decidedly, and 
the principles of action are taking root for good or 
for evil. Without attempting to say at what pre- 
cise period this development takes place, — it being 
evident that some children are much more preco- 
cious than others, — we believe that an intelligent 
parent, on the watch for every sign of improve- 
ment, will be at no loss when the seeds of truth 
and virtue are to be sown. 

The Christian parent will deeply feel the aug- 
mented weight of responsibility as he approaches 
this period of moral culture. He will be anxious 
to know the method best adapted to train up his 
child in the " nurture and admonition of the 
Lord ; " to form its habits to virtue and useful- 
ness ; and especially to secure its everlasting life. 

We address ourselves to such parents, hi the 
hope of rendering some assistance in the interest- 
ing and responsible work intrusted to them. We 
say to them, therefore, teach your children, among 
the earliest lessons, their relation to God, as crea- 
tures, and as sinners. 

Every parent who attempts it, experiences the 
difficulty of conveying to the mind of the child, 
abstract ideas. The reflective faculty, which is 
the medium of such instruction, is but feebly, if 
at all, operative in early childhood. The senses 



66 DUTY OF PARENTS 

are then awake and busy ; storing the mind with 
images and ideas, to be in after life the material 
on which reason and reflection are to act. The 
senses are the pioneer servants of the soul. A 
parent's ingenuity is tasked in restraining, rectify- 
ing, and guiding the young curiosity, in its inqui- 
ries and conclusions, amid the world of wonders 
which is opening upon it. Let him exercise the 
patience that is requisite. Let him see to it that 
true, and not false impressions, are being made. 
Let him stand at the gateway of the mind, and 
take care that nothing enters which shall be a 
foundation of subsequent skepticism. The child 
should never have it in his power to say, in after 
life, ' Through parental indifference or impatience, 
you allowed me to receive erroneous impressions.' 

We can scarcely overstate the importance of 
truth, in its purest forms, even with regard to 
those ideas which the senses supply, and which 
are the first material on which the reasoning 
faculties operate. 

But can the young querist be made to compre- 
hend subjects, which are out of the region of 
sensible ideas ; and may the parent commence a 
system of moral and religious inculcation at this 
early period ? I answer, Yes ; and the sooner the 
better. This natural curiosity which tasks his 



TO THEIR UNCONVERTED CHILDREN. 67 

patience, in explaining material things, is but a 
development of soul. It is the moral faculty, 
asking for the implements of its future occupation. 
It is that very faculty which distinguishes man 
from the brute beast, whose knowledge is instinc- 
tive rather than acquired; and although, accord- 
ing to the course of nature, the senses are first 
busied in gathering together the ideas of the 
external world, yet will the moral faculty very 
early respond to those which belong to the higher 
relations of our being. 

THE IDEA OF GOD. 

There is in the young immortal a quick per- 
ception of its accountability. This is felt first 
towards the parent, and then, by a natural and 
easy transition, towards the Great Parent of all. 
How interesting is the moment, when the great 
idea, c God,' is first presented to the young 
inquirer ! He has begun to reason. He is ask- 
ing, with intense interest, after the causes of this 
and of that ; how one thing differs from another ; 
and how the diversified frame-work of nature can 
be so and thus ? Then may be introduced the 
great primary idea of a Creator and a Governor, 
the Author and the End of all tilings. The effect 



68 DUTY OF PARENTS 

is quickly perceived on the young mind. There 
is awe ; there is wonder. The idea may at first 
be but faintly conceived ; and many embarrassing 
thoughts may come along with it, giving rise to 
questions which it may require much wisdom to 
answer, and which, in some instances, are unan- 
swerable. Still the soul has begun to struggle 
with the thought, and to feel its influence. ^ The 
child has found a power above that of the parent, 
and a tribunal to which both child and parent are 
responsible. 

From this moment the moral faculties are more 
distinctly at work. Conscience begins to suggest 
the ideas of right and wrong. The character 
begins to develop, and the great work of religious 
culture is begun. From this period onward, 
every lawful means should be used, to enlighten 
the mind, to fix the principles, and to save the 
soul. 

In this religious culture, the child's relation to 
God, as its creator, is, of course, an elementary 
idea. It is an idea easily imparted. It so hap- 
pens, that the construction and modification of 
material things, for ornamental and useful pur- 
poses, is constantly going on before its eyes. He 
sees it amid the household arrangements, and it 
meets him in all his walks abroad. He is unrav- 



TO THEIR UNCONVERTED CHILDREN. 69 

eiing, for his own amusement, the piece of net- 
work that accidentally falls into his hands, or 
breaking and reconstructing the toy that is pur- 
chased for his gratification. The idea of construc- 
tion is thus very early fixed in his young mind. 
It is not a difficult process, therefore, to raise that 
mind to the conception of the Great Maker of all 
things. And here his own body furnishes an 
ever present illustration. All nature, too, is a 
school. Every beautiful object; every curious 
animal ; the seed that vegetates ; the flower that 
is unfolding ; the rain-drop, and the dew-drop ; 
the sun-beam ; the air ; the ocean ; — all, whilst 
they administer delight, administer also instruc- 
tion. In this school, where silent nature unrolls 
her page, stands the parent and his infant pupil. 
Can he want motives or means to lead that infant 
soul through nature up to nature's God ? Had 
he nothing more in view than the expansion and 
improvement of the mind ; its early appreciation 
of the sublime and beautiful in nature ; he might 
well thus inculcate the connection, as cause and 
effect, of God, with all the wonders and glories 
of creation. But the Christian parent has a higher 
object in view. He amis to lay deep, in the 
youthful heart, the impression of its relations and 



70 DUTY OF PARENTS 

its responsibility to this unseen and almighty 
Being ; to fix that all- controlling idea, of an omni- 
present and omniscient God. 

There is, so to speak, a natural aptitude, in 
every young mind, to receive such an impression. 
Atheism is the wish of a wicked heart, rather than 
the conviction of the intelligent mind. Dreadful 
as the belief of a God is, to one who determines 
to indulge in sin, it is an idea, nevertheless, which 
skepticism cannot wholly eradicate. Deep in the 
moral nature, has the Creator laid a foundation 
for this great primary truth ; and early, almost in 
infancy, will the conscience respond to it. 

This truth — the being of God — is the great 
lever to be used in all the subsequent training of 
the soul. There is a God, who made, and who 
governs all ; a Being, not only of infinite power 
but of spotless purity. There is a God to whom 
all are responsible ; who weighs the actions of 
young and of old ; whose eye scans even the most 
secret thoughts ; and who will bring into judg- 
ment every work, whether it be good or whether 
it be evil. 

Can a child not be made to understand this ? 
Does not the embryo principle of such responsi- 
bility stir in his very nature ? Has it not begun 



TO THEIR UNCONVERTED CHILDEE^. 71 

to move under the parental government? It is 
surelv, then, no difficult thing to awaken it more 
fully in relation to the great Governor of all. 

So far, even natural religion might serve to aid 
us. But natural religion has obscured the just 
idea of God. It has made him anything but the 
true God. It has even " changed his glory into 
an image, made like unto corruptible man." 
Thanks be to God that, in behalf of ourselves 
and of our children, we have something more and 
something better than the light of nature. We 
have God in the Bible. We there learn his true 
character, and our relations to him. This book, 
then, is our guide. It is the great lesson-book, 
from which the soul is to take its elementary and 
its ultimate instructions ; its axioms and its demon- 
strations ; its simple alphabet and its sublimest 
combinations. In this book, the weakest intellect 
may begin its researches, and the strongest and 
best disciplined minds may profitably pursue theirs. 
It is a book for all. It is like the sun, whose 
beam, shooting through a crevice, may amuse and 
interest a child, whilst it furnishes, at the same 
time, an occasion for the prismatic glass of the 
philosopher. Be grateful, ye parents, that God 
has given you this celestial light ; that he has put 
into your hands this great lesson-book for eter- 



72 DUTY OF PARENTS 

nity. Make the use of it which he enjoins. 
Train up your children in its admonitions. It is 
the thesaurus, out of which you are to gather that 
wisdom, which is better than rubies, and more 
precious than fine gold. The fear of the Lord is 
the beginning of such wisdom. To fear God is 
thus the first great lesson of childhood. 



PROPER VIEWS OF GOD'S CHARACTER TO BE 
INCULCATED. 



But the child must have something beside an 
abstract idea of God. In holding up before him 
simply the notion of a great and omnipotent 
Creator, there is danger of producing in his mind 
slavish fear rather than filial confidence. Omnipo- 
tence is not the only light in which God presents 
himself. He chooses to take the appellation of a 
father, and to recognize us as his children. " I 
have nourished and brought them up as children." 
" Doubtless thou art our Father, though Abraham 
be ignorant of us." 

This recognition of the relation of God to his 
creatures, as the great Parent of all, is as endear- 
ing as it is condescending. It is one too, which, 
from the analogous position of an earthly parent, 
can be readily comprehended by our children. 



TO THEIR UNCONVERTED CHILDREN. 73 

The providential care everywhere manifested, in 
the abundant and appropriate provision which the 
Great Benefactor has made for all his creatures, 
affords constant occasion for the inculcation of a 
grateful spirit. It associates God, in the young 
mind, with everything that is beneficent in his 
works. It begets confidence in him, as that 
Being who, clothing the grass of the field, and 
providing for the birds of the air, will assuredly 
take care of his more highly endowed creatures. 

It has been asserted, as we think calumniously, 
that because our religion sets God before us as the 
hater and avenger of sin, it is calculated to beget 
a terrific and morbid dread of him ; that our sys- 
tem is repugnant to beautiful and alluring views 
of the divine character. As this is a mere matter 
of opinion, it is sufficient to say, that we see no 
such necessary result. The question about our 
religion is simply, whether it is true ? Is it the 
religion of the Bible ? We say, it is ; that in 
this Bible, God does reveal himself as a sin- 
hating, sin-avenging God. u Sin is that abomi- 
nable thing which his soul hateth." And with 
all his tendencies to mercy, " he will by no 
means clear the guilty." Now does true religion, 
founded on such a revelation of God's character 
and purpose, beget erroneous or unworthy views 
6 



74 DUTY OF PARENTS 

of him ? It is a moral solecism to assert it. The 
alluring features of the divine character, we are 
as apt to dwell upon as any other class of relig- 
ious men. Because we believe in his justice, do 
we, therefore, never speak of his mercy? Be- 
cause we say he will punish sin, and sinners, 
being impenitent, do we, therefore, deny that on 
certain conditions he will pardon ? It is true we 
do speak of his whole character. "We would not 
give our children an imperfect or partial represent- 
ation of the divine Being, as some may deem it 
expedient to do. We entertain no fears of any 
bad result in speaking of God, just as the Bible 
speaks of him. Indeed, we are solemnly bound 
so to do. We deem this course best, because 
there is no deception in it; and because it is the 
only way to secure the end we have in view, viz., 
the salvation of our children. 

But we can, and we do lead the inquisitive mind 
out among God's glorious works, and inculcate 
those lessons which such diversified beauty and 
grandeur are calculated to inspire. This is all- 
important as laying a basis for that conviction of 
personal ingratitude and sinfulness, which natu- 
rally arises from a contrasted view of God's good- 
ness and the creature's obduracy and neglect. See 



TO THEIR UNCONVERTED CHILDREN. 75 

what God has done for thee, we say ; and then 
behold thy own ingratitude and forgetfulness of 
him. Thus is brought to view another very im- 
portant relation which our children sustain to God, 
viz., that of sinners. 



CHAPTER V. 

THE RELATION OF CHILDREN TO GOD AS 
SINNERS. 

Selfishness the great antagonistic al principle to truth and virtue — the child 
to be apprised of its naturally evil heart — how it may be impressed with 
the nature and turpitude of sin — by the law is the knowledge of sin — its 
use in convincing the child of his delinquencies — this course has been 
excepted to — the objections considered — our ideas of youthful depravity 
stated — the effect of our inculcations on the child — conviction necessary 
to conversion — to the appreciation of redemption by Christ — children 
placed under the tutelage of the law — what is the duty of Orthodox 
Christians on this point — can children understand the doctrines f — the 
great end of all these inculcations, viz., their conversion to God. 

Creative power and goodness cast the thoughts 
back upon man, for whom all this lavish expendi- 
ture seems to have been made. The creature, 
however, is seen to be cold and indifferent towards 
the Great Benefactor. He is found greedily appro- 
priating the gifts of Providence, but unthankful in 
their reception, and intemperate in their enjoy- 
ment. He perverts to purposes of sinful indul- 
gence a world, the use of which he is allowed ; 
but the abuse of which, by the law of God, is 



RELATION OF CHILDREN TO GOD. 77 

forbidden. There is a spontaneous and universal 
selfishness — the root of all other evils — which 
springs forth from a corrupt nature, the common 
inheritance of us all. 

What parent does not discover in this selfishness 
the antagonist principle of all the good which he 
aims to inculcate ? Must not the child be apprised 
of this naturally evil heart ? Must he not be given 
to understand, that it is this which lies at the basis 
of all wrong conduct ; that not that which goeth 
into a man deflleth, but that which cometh out 
of him, even out of his heart ; " that the heart 
is deceitful above all things, and desperately 
wicked" ? 

If the child shall have been regenerated in. 
infancy ^ it will subscribe to the truth of this ; for 
it will have, in its own young experience, in the 
earliest struggles against temptation, the evidence 
of a strong natural tendency to sin. If the child 
has not been thus early regenerated, his conscience 
will not be slow to endorse these views of natural 
depravity. He will see enough, under the most 
favorable circumstances, and in the exercise of a 
more than ordinarily amiable temper, to convince 
him that his Bible speaks truth, when it says, 
" Foolishness," another name for sin, " is bound 
in the heart of a child." 



78 RELATION OF CHILDREN TO GOD 



HOW SHALL THE CHILD BE IMPRESSED WITH THE 
NATURE AND TURPITUDE OF SIN ? 

In order to impress a child with the nature and 
turpitude of sin, one of the most important consid- 
erations should be a right understanding of the 
divine law. He must have a standard of right and 
wrong ; one that will apply to an every-day, prac- 
tical experience ; one that is of universal applica- 
tion, and that has the sanction of the great Jehovah, 
The law of the Ten Commandments is just such a 
standard. Keeping in view, as of the highest im- 
portance, a conviction of sin, such a conviction as 
shall lead to a thorough conversion from sin, we 
must, among the earliest lessons, inculcate the 
■obligations of God's law ; for " by the law is the 
knowledge of sin." Children may be made to 
to see its application and its extent. Its two great 
principles are not difficult of inculcation or of 
comprehension. To love God with all the heart, 
and to love our neighbor as ourselves, is a form 
of condensed morality and virtue which even 
childhood may be made to understand. Recogniz- 
ing the obligation, they may be led to see and feel 
their deficiency. Selfishness, the sin of all, and 
the undisguised sin of childhood, will be discov- 



AS SINNERS. 79 

ered and rebuked in the light of this holy law. 
God commands us to teach our children his stat- 
utes, and commends his servant Abraham for so 
doing. He has incorporated in this, his law, one 
precept expressly addressed to the young. He 
has fortified parental authority, and sustained 
household discipline, by a command that meets and 
rebukes the sin of disobedience. The Christian 
parent will feel obliged to use it daily, to refer to 
it on all occasions of delinquency, and to make it 
a means not only of restraint but of conviction. 
He will sit down by the side of his child and say, 
c See here, thy conduct, in this and that particular, 
is a direct violation of this holy law. God com- 
mands thee thus, and thou hast done contrary to 
this precept. See in this pure mirror thy sin, and 
know that thy heart is not right in the sight of 
God. 5 

We are aware that this full and frank exposure 
of the natural depravity and practical sin of our 
children, has been excepted to, and condemned, by 
those who look upon childhood as a state of inno- 
cence. We are called rigid, morose, even cruel, 
in this application of truth to the sins and follies 
of the young. It is actually made an argument 
against our doctrinal views. Our religion is pro- 
nounced severe, and contrary to the joyous spirit 



80 RELATION OF CHILDREN TO GOD 

of Christianity. But these objections to the course 
we recommend, are too ^discriminate to have anv 
weight. If we believed that childhood was a 
state of absolute innocence, as some profess to 
believe — that the young heart is pure and natu- 
rallv fit for heaven, as some even declare — we 
should indeed deem it cruel to overcloud, by the 
dark shadow of sin. so fair and beautiful a morn- 
ing. But whilst we admit that childhood is com- 
paratively an innocent state, we do not believe that 
it is sinless, nor that it is naturally fit for heaven. 
Our views, as already explained, go to show that 
children are born with a sinful nature, which can 
be fitted for heaven onlv by a change of heart. 
We are free to confess that our views of Christian 
truth do modify" the moral treatment of our chil- 
dren ; and the only, or all-important question is, 
Are these views such as are found in the Bible ? 

It might seem to some, more the expression of 
love, to keep our children as far as possible igno- 
rant of their true state and condition as sinners ; 
to open the vista of the future, and plant it only 
with flowers, and color it only with rainbow hues. 
This, to some, would sound very fine, and seem 
very loving. But we, who fear our children may 
be lost, or die in their sins ; who know, from 
God's word, that unless renewed, they will be ; 



AS SINNERS. 81 

may show our affection in a way very different, 
but quite as sincere as those who believe another 
doctrine, and pursue a different plan. Children 
must not be indulged and gratified at the expense 
of truth; and at the hazard of then' perdition. An 
Orthodox Christian parent could not sleep easy on 
his pillow, if he did not teach his children that 
they were lost sinners ; and that, to enter a holy 
heaven, they must have a renewed, that is, a holy 
heart. Is this cruel, or morose ? Would it not 
be far more cruel, to keep them ignorant of their 
true state and condition as sinners ? And as to 
casting over life's earlv dawn the clouds of dis- 
appointment, or abstracting a single joy from their 
young existence, we are willing to compare results 
with any more plausible, but less scriptural system. 
All we aim at is, the true and permanent happi- 
ness of our children ; and this, we think, cannot 
be attained, until sin is repented of, and a Saviour 
is embraced. We aim to take a course, in respect 
to them, that shall not fill us with agony and self- 
reproach, provided we are called to commit them 
to an early tomb. With our views of their state 
and condition as children of the apostasy — views 
which our Bible has taught us, and which experi- 
ence has confirmed — we cannot answer it to our 



82 RELATION OF CHILDEES" TO Gil 

consciences, if we allow them to live and die in 
isTiorance of their relation to God as since:-. 

But this conviction is ne : n : _ G Dver, in 

order to their perception and appreciation of the 
way of salvation. Suppose we allow them :: 
grow up in self-complacent views of their own 
characters; keeping out of sight die fact that t; 
are born in sin. and that, judged by the :"ine 
law, they are under condemnation ; what would 
probably be the effect ! T. ght, perh - jy 

such a course, be enabled to enjoy with less com- 
punction the pleasures of sin; b \y they 
would not leam its turpitude, no: lispleas- 
ure against it, nor God's method of removing it. 
They would not be likely to ask, u What muf Z 
do to be saved ? " 

Conviction of sin is indispensable to an appre- 
ciation of the great salvation. The reisc-n s<: 
many misunderstand Christ's character:- ine 

Saviour, is because they do not understand and real- 
ize their own character as lost sinners. Our vie 
of Christ will be greatly modified by previous con- 
victions of sin, according as such convictions are 
more or less deep. If we view you sins inly is 
faults, errors, aberrations — as in the soft phraseol- 
ogy of some they are denominated — we shall not 



AS SINNERS- 83 

need a very thorough cleansing, nor a priceless 
blood to atone for them. But if, in our convic- 
tions, they are i as scarlet and as crimson ' — if we 
are forced to exclaim, " Behold, I am vile ; " e my 
sins are as an heavy burden, too heavy for me ' — 
we shall then see no hope of forgiveness but by an 
atonement, such as " God manifest in the flesh " 
alone could accomplish. 

Shall we not, then, place our children under 
the tutelage of that law. which is a school-master 
to lead them to Christ ? If we wish them to go 
to him for life and salvation, they must go in the 
only way which is pointed out, — the way of con- 
scious ill desert, the strait and narrow way ; hum- 
bling themselves at his feet on account of their 
sins, and saying, i Lord Jesus, save us, or we 
perish.' 

Others may choose a different path ; may leave 
the religious training of their children to the 
priesthood ; or may instruct them simply in the 
beauty of virtue, and the deformity of vice ; but 
Protestant and Orthodox Christians are bound, by 
their very principles, to make more thorough 
work : to go deeper into the moral wants of the 
soul ; to lay open the disorder of the heart ; and 
to hold up the only remedy, which is repentance 
for sin, and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. 



84 RELATION OF CHILDREN TO GOD 

Those who do not admit that a change of heart 
is necessary, will not, of course, seek it either for 
themselves or for their children. They will build 
only on the foundation which nature has laid, 
will aim at moral restraints and external accom- 
plishments ; but we, who think that men are born 
in sin, and that, to be saved, must be born again 
to holiness, will employ all the means which God 
has appointed to secure so blessed and desirable 
an end. 

CAN CHILDREN UNDERSTAND THE DOCTRINES? 

But how, methinks I hear one say, can children 
be made to understand these teachings ? Why 
should we address such profound truths to minds 
so imperfectly developed ? Can these little ones 
comprehend their relation to God as creatures and 
as sinners ? Why not postpone these lessons until 
they attain to greater maturity ? 

I answer ; children can and do understand 
these truths. They have, in a thousand instances, 
given evidence, not only of understanding them, 
but of a practical and saving application of them. 
He who suggests the doubt on this point, forgets 
that every child has a moral nature which seeks 
this very aliment. His first questions are about 



AS SINNERS. 85 

God, and his first impressions are those of respon- 
sibility. He forgets, too, that the Holy Spirit can 
enlighten this young heart, and often does ; so 
that l out of the mouths of babes and sucklings 
God perfects his praise.' He forgets, does he 
not, how many die in childhood, just as they have 
entered on the period of responsibility ; and in 
the last struggles, may ask for light and for guid- 
ance which, through inconsideration or unfaithful- 
ness, may have been denied them. 

These are considerations which influence us to 
an early training of the soul in the great and 
fundamental truths of the Bible. Believing, as 
we do, that these truths are made use of by the 
Holy Spirit to convict and to sanctify ; and hoping, 
as we may, that a faithful presentation of them, 
simplified so far as possible, and oft-repeated, will 
be attended by an enlightening and saving influ- 
ence ; we commence, at the very outset of then' 
intelligent existence, to sow in our children's 
minds this incorruptible seed. Nor are Christian 
parents discouraged if, at first, no signs of spiritual 
germination appear. In the morning they are to 
sow the seed, and in the evening to withhold not 
then' hand. Their trust is in the covenant faith- 
fulness of Abraham's God. To Him having dedi- 
cated their offspring, for Him should they assidu- 



86 RELATION OF CHILDREN TO COD 

ously train them up. The great end of all these 
inculcations is, their conversion to God. Its reali- 
zation should be our chief desire and constant 
prayer, and its indication and evidence our unwa- 
vering expectation. 

Is it sometimes represented that we expect our 
children to grow up hi sin, and that we look not 
for their conversion until adult years ? "What 
then means obi Sabbath school instruction, our 
catechetical teaching, our domestic altar, our fire- 
side readings, our maternal associations \ Is there, 
by Christian parents, no groaning and soul-travail- 
ing, in secret prayer, for the conversion of their 
children ? Is there no solicitude, no earnest long- 
ing for the tokens of spiritual life, as they meet 
their beloved charge at the family altar, or watch 
their expression in the sanctuary of God ? 

It may be that some parents, in this day of 
delegated responsibility, leave their children to the 
care of others, or are satisfied, so to speak, with 
their chance in the Sabbath school ; but that 
parental faithfulness, and prayer, and anxiety, are 
withdrawn by truly Christian parents, I do not, 
and cannot believe. If in the conscience of any, 
such a charge shall find an echo, let that parent 
remember, that no instruction from any other 
quarter, however faithfully inculcated, can release 



AS SINNERS. 8T 

him from the obligation to train up his children 
himself, and not by proxy,, ••' in the nurture and 
admonition of the Lord." TTe should be thank- 
ful for the Sabbath school, as a grand and efficient 
auxiliary in the moral and religious training of 
our youth. In every way possible we should 
encourage the faithful teacher in his toilsome vet 
useful work. We should send our children into 
his hands every Sabbath day. with the evidence 
that we are co-operating with him in the culture 
of the soul ; but when the question is, where lies 
the primary responsibility in regard to the child's 
Christian education,, we must throw it back on the 
natural guardian, where God riiniself has lodged 
it. Xo parent can get from under this responsi- 
bility, and no Christian parent would wish to. He 
would have his children bound up with himself 
in the same bundle of eternal life. Prom whatso- 
ever other fields of usefulness he may be excluded, 
this, he is sure, is put under his immediate cul- 
ture. Xext to his own soul, in regard to respon- 
sibility, come the souls of his children. They 
bear his image ; they live in his presence ; they 
catch his varying expressions ; they are bone of 
his bone, and flesh of his flesh. So intimate is 
the relation, so constant the influence, direct and 
indirect, that he may almost be said to develop his 



88 RELATION OF CHILDREN TO GOD. 

own character through theirs. What they believe, 
as matters of faith ; what they feel and how they 
conduct themselves, are traceable, in most instances, 
to parental example and influence. It is true that 
sometimes an infidel parent will have a Christian 
child, and a Christian parent an infidel child. 
These are exceptions to a general rule. They 
mark a sovereignty which none can explain, and 
at which none should cavil. But who does not 
see and know that, usually and uniformly, the 
seed sown produces a corresponding crop ; so that 
we may say of parental teaching, in its bearings 
on the future character and destiny of the child, 
that " whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also 
reap." Let this responsibility be acknowledged. 
Let us act under a sense of it, praying that 
wherein we lack wisdom to meet it, and to fulfill 
the duties implied in it, God would, according to 
his promise, impart such wisdom, and thus enable 
us to ' bring up our children in the nurture and 
admonition of the Lord.' 



CHAPTER VI. 

CHILDREN LED TO CHRIST. 

A sense of sin prepares for this — the family a type of the divine govern- 
ment — obedience to parents one form of obedience to God — these duties 
interlaced — Fourierism — the family state affords the occasion for illus- 
trating the duties we owe to God — a child's first idea of sin and retribu- 
tion here obtained — scriptural idea of forgiveness — the mediatorial idea 
developed in the family — the great doctrine of the atonement shadowed 
forth — Christ and his offices pointed out — Christ's example in regard to 
selfishness — Christ, the end of the law for righteousness — easy to be 
inculcated — childhood the season of confidence — convictions of childhood 
— under what circumstances developed — how to be treated — the new 
field of culture— the power of parental example — parental counsels — a 
higher type of piety needed as the millennium draws near. 

In teaching children their relation to God as 
sinners, implying his displeasure and their con- 
demnation, we are bound, in close connection, to 
point out to them the way of salvation from sin, as 
it is revealed in the Bible. We must say to thern, 
" Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the 
sin of the world ! " 



THE FAMILY A TYPE OF THE DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 

By a wise and benevolent arrangement, God 
has established the family government as a minia- 
7 



90 CHILDREN LED TO CHRIST. 

ture, though imperfect resemblance of his own. 
He has recognized the analogy in several respects. 
He styles himself the Father of the great human 
family. He speaks of bringing up children, ' who 
had rebelled against him.' The family govern- 
ment is included in the more comprehensive gov- 
ernment of God. Its moral discipline must be 
enforced by the principles which are given to 
regulate the moral conduct of the more extended 
family of mankind. The same law is to be the 
standard of right and wrong, forming the ground 
of an ultimate appeal to the moral consciousness of 
both old and young. In this inclusive govern- 
ment, the divine and the parental, we are furnished 
with an occasion for the illustration of those duties 
which the religion of the Bible enjoins. Obedience 
to the parent is one form of obedience to God. 
Disobedience to the former, commanding what is 
lawful and right, is actual rebellion against the 
latter, who has said, " Children, obey your parents 
in the Lord, for this is right." How beautifully 
interlaced are these twofold moral duties. What 
mutual support do they afford ; and how necessary 
is the family relation, in order to the preservation 
of morality and the perpetuity of religion. Yet 
are there men, who, with sacrilegious hands, would 
uproot even " this only bliss of paradise, which 



CHILDREN LED TO CHRIST. 91 

has survived the fall." They hate and would 
destroy the family relation, because it is the expo- 
nent of God's higher government, and the great 
buttress of religion and morality. 

This relation affords occasion, we have said, for 
the illustration of principles and duties enjoined 
in the word of God. For example, disobedience 
under the parental government, gives the first idea 
of sin. The young transgressor, ere he can com- 
prehend his relation to God, knows what it is to 
violate the law of the household. He is amenable 
to the parental tribunal. He knows that under 
this economy, sin and punishment are conjoined. 
Hence his first impression also of retribution. He 
is called to an account, and when convicted, he 
must suffer some sort of punishment. But how 
eagerly does the affectionate parent look for the 
signs of repentance. How indispensable, in his 
view, is the exercise of sincere sorrow, ere there 
can be any hope of a permanent good conduct- 
Hence it is a point of no small importance, to show 
the young delinquent what true repentance is ; to 
discriminate between that sorrow which looks more 
at the punishment of the crime, than mourns over 
its turpitude ; winch expresses regret at its penal 
consequences, but no realizing sense of the wrong 
itself. 



92 CHILDREN LED TO CHRIST. 



SCRIPTURAL IDEA OF FORGIVENESS. 

So also a ready and indiscriminate forgiveness, 
is seen to weaken if not actually destroy the house- 
hold government. There must be penalties, as 
well as laws. Where there is crime, there must 
be confession and sorrow ; and, ordinarily, where 
there is violation of law, there should be punish- 
ment. 

The family government, being in a sense a sort 
of exponent of the divine government, it is not 
difficult to illustrate to the mind of a child the one 
by the other. 

The family government admits, occasionally, of 
mediation or intercession. One member taking 
pity on another, who is a temporary outcast from 
the pale of domestic approbation, pleads for his 
forgiveness and restoration ; and not seldom is the 
delinquent, by means of this intercessor, and upon 
expressing his repentance, reinstated in the favors 
and enjoyments of the household. What is this, 
but a familiar type of the readiness of our heav- 
enly Father to receive the penitent, through the 
intercessions of a mediator, duly appointed and 
properly qualified ? The parent, by the very rela- 
tion which he sustains, sees how important is 



CHILDREN LED TO CHRIST. 93 

this great doctrine of atonement and intercession, 
whereby sinners may be reconciled to that higher 
authority which has been set at naught. Will he 
hesitate, then, to point his child to the Lamb o£ 
God, who alone taketh away the sin of the 
world ? 

There is not a more delightful, as there cer- 
tainly is not a more useful employment, than to 
lead the young mind to a consideration of the 
work and the offices of Christ. It is not merely 
his example that we may use for the benefit of 
our children, in stimulating them to purity and 
virtue, but " his obedience unto death," constitut- 
ing an atonement for sin, which is the great idea 
of the gospel, we may put before them, as the 
strongest incentive to repentance and faith. 

How invaluable, too, in a world given to self- 
seeking, and upon hearts which are by nature 
hearts of stone, is the influence of that great 
revealed fact, that " Christ pleased not himself; " 
that he came on an errand of disinterested love ; 
that, "though he was rich, for our sakes he 
became poor." What a powerful lesson is thus 
furnished us and our households of benevolence ? 
— a lesson which the parent may recur to amid the 
conflicts of selfishness, too often waged within the 
family circle. But the death of Christ voluntarily 



94 CHILDREN LED TO CHRIST. 

endured for sin, is the great fact of the New 
Testament, as it was the foreshadowed idea of the 
Old. Herein is the question answered, how God 
can be just in pardoning a sinner. Is this too recon- 
dite, too hard for a childish understanding ? What is 
there hard about it ? The child may be made to 
understand that God hates sin, and that the sinner 
is guilty, and is exposed to the wrath of God ; that 
all that he can do cannot take away his sins, nor 
atone for them ; that he needs one who is in the 
confidence of God, to stand for him and to plead 
for him, and that such a mediator is found in the 
Lord Jesus Christ ; — all this, it seems to me, can 
be made intelligible to a young mind, and more 
easily, sometimes, than to one of adult age. 

In teaching children their sinfulness, and in 
setting before them, as we must, the law of God 
and its penalty, how naturally and how readily, 
also, shall we point out the doctrine here disclosed, 
that Christ is "the Lamb of God who taketh 
away the sin of the world ; " and that " he is 
also the end of the law for righteousness to every 
one that belie veth." This is one form of "the 
admonition of the Lord." The child is to be 
admonished of its sinfulness, and of the conse- 
quent necessity of repentance towards God, and 
of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. To encourage 



CHILDREN LED TO CHRIST. 95 

the Christian parent in these teachings, he is 
assured that the Saviour once expressed a special 
interest in children, taking them in his arms, and 
pronouncing upon them his benediction. We 
should not doubt the capability of children to 
exercise faith in the Son of God. Childhood is 
the season of confidence. The ingenuous mind 
has not yet learned to cavil at well attested facts. 
Its little hand is, as it were, extended for help. 
"Was there ever a child to whose mind, first 
instructed in its relations to God as a sinner, the 
presentation of Christ's atonement and intercession 
did not come with affecting interest and applica- 
tion ? If the young heart shows conviction of 
sin, as 'we know it often does, can any doubt that 
it may exercise faith, as we hope and believe it 
often has ? 

Where is the Christian parent who has not, at 
times, discovered in the heart of his child these 
early indications of the Spirit's power ! A mys- 
terious pressure will sometimes be found upon its 
soul. It will come to the parent's knee with a 
serious and anxious look. This altered expression 
leads the parent to inquire into the cause. The 
reply is, <Oh, I am so great a sinner.' Is this 
a fact of very uncommon occurrence ? It may 
take place when no special act of disobedience has 



96 CHILDREN LED TO CHRIST. 

been perpetrated. The feeling has stolen in upon 
the young heart, by a train of thought which none 
can trace but the omniscient One who suggested it. 
In this case, we are to recognize the Spirit of God. 
moving by times upon the tender conscience, and 
thus inviting parental co-operation in guiding the 
soul to Jesus. If that young heart can thus early 
feel its need of help, showing that it is not only 
susceptible of conviction, but is really and truly 
convicted of sin, why may not faith in Christ be 
exercised, and the evidence be obtained of forgive- 
ness through his blood ? 

Many is the instance, we doubt not, where this 
faith has been exercised, and where the implanta- 
tion of grace was coeval almost with the first 
buddings of the mind. How many beautiful 
examples are on record of this early and almost 
infantile faith. How many such have gone to 
people the world of blessedness, and to expand 
amid the more congenial atmosphere of heaven. 



SEASONS OF YOUTHFUL CONVICTION, HOW TREATED. 

Why is it that seasons of conviction in child- 
hood are apt to be transient, to be so soon suc- 
ceeded by an apparent indifference? Are not 
parents, in many instances, responsible for it ? 



CHILDREN LED TO CHRIST. 9T 

Alarmed at the unusual occurrence, and sympa- 
thizing with the distress of the child, they seek to 
counteract and expel these feelings. They reason 
them away as inappropriate or absurd. They give 
the child to understand that he is not so guilty, 
and that his soul is not in so much danger as his 
fears would suggest ; and if this course is not 
successful, they continue, by some new or exciting 
pleasures, to divert him from the painful contem- 
plation. This is taking a fearful responsibility. 
How came the child by these feelings ? They 
often appear without any apparent cause. There 
is a mystery in their coming, if not in their 
departure. Who can doubt that they are of God ; 
that He, whose office it is to convince of sin, is 
executing that office on the young and susceptible 
heart ? What a fearful responsibility, then, does 
that parent assume, who makes a deliberate attempt 
to counteract the strivings of the Holy Spirit ! 

What, under these circumstances, is the pa- 
rent's duty ? Why, evidently, to co-operate with 
the apparent design of the Spirit of God ; and 
when the child comes and tells the parent, with 
tearful eyes and a breaking heart, that he feels 
himself a sinner, to say to it, ( Yes, my child, it 
is true, you are a sinner, and God is convincing 
you of it ; ' and then to show the child wherein 



98 CHILDREN LED TO CHEIST. 

he has sinned. Let the parent take this oppor- 
tunity to explain the turpitude of sin, its viola- 
tions of God's law, and the consequent condemna- 
tion ; for the Spirit will now help the child to see 
sin in its true light. But must the parent stop 
here ? By no means. This very sensibility to 
siii; which is now felt and manifested, prepares 
the way for holding up the Saviour, as " the way, 
the truth, and the life." The parent should now 
say, " Behold the Lamb of God which taketk 
away the sin of the world." It seems as if the 
Holy Spirit, by these early convictions, bids us 
lead the soul at once to Jesus. It is only by such 
a course that we can fall in with " the admonition 
of the Lord." 

This, we say, is a grateful task to a truly Chris- 
tian parent ; and oh, what joy must that parent's 
heart experience, if, by his prayers and his teach- 
ings, this young inquirer is led to exercise faith 
in the atoning Lamb. He is now, in a twofold 
sense, a child. This new or second birth, links 
the soul of the child and of the parent together 
forever. 

THE NEW EIELD OE CULTURE. 

But these incipient and early convictions may 
soon disappear, even where the fostering hand of 



CHILDREN LED TO CHRIST. 99 

piety is at work to cherish them. Still should 
they be regarded as foreshadowing of covenant 
blessings, and then recurrence should be anxiously 
and prayerfully looked for. 

But should these convictions result in the hope- 
ful conversion of the child, — as many times we 
think is the case, — then has the parent not only a 
new theme of praise, but a new and most hopeful 
field of culture. The child is now to receive its 
type of Christian character, in a great measure, 
from the formative influence of the parent. Here 
is a new phase of responsibility. Religion, in that 
child's heart, is a precious and incorruptible seed 
in a soil not the most congenial. That soil is to 
be enriched, and that seed to be nurtured, so that 
what is now but a blade, scarcely visible, may 
grow into a stalk, and then into the full ear ; and 
at length be gathered, like a shock of corn, folly 
ripe into the heavenly garner. The parent is the 
natural and responsible cultivator of this plant of 
righteousness. His example is to act constantly 
on the developing character. His Spirit is to be 
breathed into the unfolding emotions. If the 
child regards him in the twofold light of a Chris- 
tian and a parent, he will feel as much bound to 
imitate him in the one character as he does to 
obey him in the other ? What the parent does 



100 CHILDREN LED TO CHRIST. 

and says ; the principles he professes ; the spirit 
he shows, being ever under the eye of the observ- 
ing child, must necessarily, one would think, 
impress upon him a certain type of character. 
And such is generally the case. Here is a motive 
for a parent to cultivate his own spirit, in order 
to influence that of his child. The unconscious 
influence is as constant, if not as great, as the 
direct influence. The direct influence respects the 
counsels and teachings which the Christian parent 
gives, with a view of forming the Christian char- 
acter of his child. And here I know of but one 
standard, one rule of faith and practice, ever 
accessible and always obli^atorv. His child's 
Christian character is to be formed and fostered 
according to the precepts and the spirit of the 
Bible. We assume that he is in a state of grace ; 
that a genuine conversion has taken place ; and 
the development of Christian character is to go on, 
under the eye and by the influence of the parent. 
Affection for the child unites with a sense of 
responsibility to God, to impel a conscientious 
Christian parent to do everything in his power to 
tram this child for usefulness and for heaven. 

PABENTAL EXAMPLE. 

Parental example is of the first consideration. 
It is the atmosphere in which the child lives. If 



CHILDREN LED TO CHRIST, 101 

it is pure and wholesome, he will thrive ; but if it 
is noxious, he will be sickly or dwarfish. If, in 
the parent, religion is seen to be a mere matter 
of form, a mere Sabbath clay service, whilst the 
whole tenor of things through the week is that of 
the world, the child may at first wonder at the 
inconsistency ; but will be likely, ere long, to settle 
down to the same tone of lifeless formality. If a 
parent may profess religion and still be gay ; a 
devotee of fashion, or a lover of pleasure ; why 
should we expect any thing better in the child ? 

A youth just springing into manhood, becomes 
pious. He is at first very zealous, ready to meet 
every cross, to brave the opposition of the world, 
and thus prove a true disciple of the self-denying 
Jesus. But it may so happen that the father of 
this youth, being also a professed disciple of the 
Saviour, sympathizes not with these noble aspira- 
tions. His heart has grown cold hi the service of 
the world. He ventures to intimate that his son 
is righteous over-much ; that there is no need of 
all this zeal ; and that religion may be attended to 
in its proper place. Conformably to this counsel, 
the father himself exhibits no particular interest in 
the promotion of piety within the sphere of his 
influence. Is it possible, with such an example, 
that the son, however promising may be his con- 



102 CHILDREN LED TO CHRIST. 

version, will reach a high and scriptural standard 
of piety ? It is barely possible. God will some- 
times cany forward his own work, in despite of 
obstructions. But how much oftener will this 
cold and chilling atmosphere freeze up the foun- 
tains of youthful piety, and cast a dark shadow 
over all the future prospects of the young convert ! 
"Who is to blame, if this youthful Christian loses 
his zeal, because in his own endeared circle he 
finds no co-operation ? or who is responsible, if, in 
a few years, he is seen doing homage to mammon, 
with a zeal as ardent as that which he once ex- 
pressed in the service of God ? 

PARENTAL COUNSEL-. 

If the example be not what it should be, then 
can we not expect that Christian duty will be 
either frequently or faithfully inculcated. Parental 
counsels will have more respect to success in the 
world, or acceptableness among men, than to the 
formation of a character accordant with Scripture 
inculcations and the example of Christ. 

But we hope better things of Christian fathers 
and mothers, whose prayers and anxieties h: 
been expressed in tears and in entreaties for the con- 
version of their children. It will be their aim, I 



CHILDREN LED TO CHRIST. 103 

trust, so soon as they discover the evidences of 
conversion, to spare no pains and withhold no in- 
fluence which, under God, may lead the child on 
from first principles to perfection. I use the word 
perfection, in the same sense hi which the Apostle 
used it, as marking an increase of knowledge, and 
a growth in grace, which characterize the maturity 
of Christian character. Piety is but a seminal 
principle that is to be cultivated, under influences 
that are evangelical, and by efforts both pastoral 
and parental. The minister should do his part, 
and the parent and Sabbath school teacher theirs. 
The aim of all should be to do what in them lies, 
to lay a scriptural basis for a growing and influen- 
tial piety. As we advance towards the millennial 
age, personal religion should take a type appropri- 
ate to so glorious an era ; the hope and the har- 
binger of its approach. How can we expect to 
see such a bright day overspreading our earth, 
without seeing, as its sure prognostic, a higher 
and a holier aim, a purer example, and a more un- 
reserved consecration ! 

It is often said that the rising generation are the 
hope of the country ; and on this ground the com- 
munity are taxed to educate them, and parents 
are urged to elevate and improve their characters 
in all the requisites for public usefulness. But if 



104 CHILDREN LED TO CHRIST. 

they are the hope of the country, are they not also 
the hope of the church ? And if their preparation 
for secular life is so important, how much more 
important is it to prepare them to uphold the insti- 
tutions of religion, and to aid in bringing on the 
triumphs of redemption ! Happily the claims of 
the state, though secondary in importance, are not 
antagonistical, in their nature, to those of the 
church ; for he who is prepared to serve his God, 
is prepared to serve his generation ; and the 
highest style of patriotism is to be found in that 
breast where dwell the true principles of gospel 
piety. 

I close by saying to all who stand in the relation 
of parents, and especially to such as have conse- 
crated their children to God, you are, as a first con- 
sideration, to expect and pray for their regenera- 
tion and conversion. You are authorized and en- 
couraged to do so. 

If it shall have pleased God to have answered 
your prayers, and to have blessed your instructions 
so that you have the evidence that your children 
are within the fold of Christ, then, as the next im- 
portant consideration, I entreat you, by a holy 
example, and a faithful inculcation of Christian 
duty as laid down in the Scriptures, to lead them 
forward in the path that grows "brighter and 



CHILDREN LED TO CHRIST. 105 

brighter." Be it yours to illustrate the beautiful 
language of the poet, which he applies to the 
faithful pastor in relation to his flock, but which is 
equally applicable to you in relation to your con- 
verted children : — 

" But in his duty prompt, at every call, 
He watched, and wept ; he prayed, and felt for all. 
And as a bird each fond endearment tries, 
To tempt its new-fledged offspring to the skies, 
He tried each art, reproved each dull delay, 
Allured to brighter worlds, and led the way." 



CHAPTER Vn. 

THE ABRAHAMIC COVENAJTT. 

Abraham's position as he stood related to succeeding believers — commend- 
atory notices of the patriarch — his faithfulness in the religious training 
of his children and household — faithful, anterior to the covenant — the 
latter both strengthening and encouraging him — in like manner, is the 
operation of the covenant now — divine wisdom and goodness to be recog- 
nized in the covenant — external services imply the weakness of our 
nature, and are helpful — the external formality not religion, only an aid 
to it — error of the papists — Quakers on the other extreme — stipulations 
of the Abrahamic covenant — perfecting of this covenant — whom it em- 
braced — the seal of the covenant — its recognition in baptism — no new 
edict required in regard to children's membership of the church — no 
abridgment of their privileges under the new dispensation — reasoning 
of the Apostles on this point — the covenant had in view mainly spiritual 
privileges — bearings of the covenant on the increase of the church — sad 
and criminal neglect of Christian parents — exhortation to the discharge 
of duties connected with this covenant. 

The character of Abraham is equally interest- 
ing to both Jews and Gentiles. He is, in truth, the 
father of us all. All true believers are the seed 
of Abraham. By virtue of their union with 
Christ — who is the promised seed — they lose their 
distinctive or national character, and become one 
spiritual community, one associated fraternity, pro- 
fessing the same hopes, and claiming equal priv- 
ileges; whether formerly they were 'Jews or 



THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT. 107 

Gentiles, Barbarians, Scythians, bond or free.' At 
the head of this fraternity stands the patriarch 
Abraham, holding manifestly a peculiar relation to 
all succeeding believers. He is called in the 
Scriptures, "the father of all them that believe." 
This implies, not only that his faith was pre- 
eminent, but that he was constituted a sort of 
model character and federative head, in the long 
line of believers. 

Among other commendatory notices of this ven- 
erable man, one of the most important and inter- 
esting is, his faithfulness in the religious training 
of his household. "For I know him, that he 
will command his children and his household after 
him ; and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to 
do justice and judgment." We may suppose that 
Abraham had such a sense of the importance of 
this duty, that, prior to all stipulations or covenant 
engagements, he would have felt himself bound to 
discharge it towards his household. Understand- 
ing, as he must have done, the connection between 
religious instruction and the salvation of the soul, 
there can be no doubt that, prior to all special 
revelations and injunctions, his household were 
trained up in the principles of the true religion. 
He seems to have had a great abhorrence of idol- 
atry. For this reason, as well as by the command 



108 THE AB11AHAMIC COVENANT. 

of God, he became a voluntary exile in a strange 
land. His household was a little moving colony ; 
himself, in the character of a priest, at the head 
of it. Whilst all around him there was darkness, 
in his little community there was light. Whilst 
every where rose the hideous emblems of idol- 
worship, he built along the stages of his pilgrim- 
age the simple altar of stones, and laid upon it the 
appointed sacrifice. His household was, in fact, 
the depository of the true religion. 

But what was done by the patriarch in the relig- 
ious training of his family, through the ordinary 
solicitude of a pious heart, received a new impulse 
after God was pleased to enter into covenant with 
him — to give him, by promise and by miracle, a 
son in his old age, and to constitute him a sort of 
head or prototype of succeeding believers. The 
Bible recognizes a connection between the faithful 
training of his household in the divine precepts, 
and the fulfillment of those promises which were 
embraced in the covenant. " That the Lord may 
bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken 
of him." 

We may argue, in like manner, that whilst a 
pious parent might feel a natural prompting to 
attend to the spiritual training of his children, 
and, irrespective of covenant obligations, might 



THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT. 109 

do something in this way ; yet, where a covenant 
obligation is superadded, there is still an augmented 
motive to faithfulness ; so that the discharge of 
duties, which pious solicitude suggests, would be 
rendered more imperative by the pressure of cov- 
enant obligations. Thus would it be more certain 
that he would train up his children to fear God, 
and to keep his commandments. And as in the 
case of Abraham, the promises and provisions of 
the covenant were connected with faithfulness in 
this duty ; so also with us, there is every reason 
to believe that our offspring will, through our 
prayers and teachings, if fervently offered and 
truthfully inculcated, become not only nominally, 
but really partakers of the grace of God. 

This is an important train of thought, and de- 
serves some further consideration. 

Many who think lightly of the baptismal cove- 
nant, are accustomed to argue, that, without any 
public vows or stipulations, the pious parent has 
motive enough to educate his child for God ; that 
no such vows, or professions, or consecrations can 
give security for the faithful discharge of a duty 
which parental interest and consistent piety will 
ordinarily fulfill. But whilst we concede to this 
statement some degree of plausibility, we must be 
allowed to say, that, owing to a weakness inherent 



110 THE ABRAHAMIC OOVSNAHT. 

in human nature, God has been pleased to add to 
instinctive love, the additional force of covenant 
obligations ; and thankfully should we acknowl- 
edge this auxiliary power in prompting us to the 
discharge of our duty. We should recognize a 
divine wisdom, in calling us out, under the solemn 
sanctions of a covenant, to stipulate before God, 
angels, and men, that we will put forth all our 
influence, in the way of example and prayer and 
scriptural teachings, to secure the salvation of oik 
children.* 

Every thing external, in religion, implies the 
weakness of our nature. So does every public 
profession, vow, or consecration. The Jew,, who 
obeyed God in the observance of an external and 
prescribed ritual, if he were a true Israelite, made 
not that observance the essential part of his relig- 
ion. It was only a mere form, or outward si^n of 
it. His religion was of the heart. But who can 
say that the outward sign was of no use \ Did it 



* In the Presbyterian churches, which are in close fellow- 
ship with our own, it is usual, when the child is presented for 
baptism, for the parent or parents to enter into covenant — 
promising to train up the child in the fear of God— to set 
before it a Christian example — to teach it the word of God — 
to pray with and for it— to teach it to pray ; and thus to 
bring it up in "the nurture and admonition of the Lord," — 
an example which we would do well to follow. 



THE ABRAHAMIC UQVENANT. Ill 

not help to bind his thoughts to the Great Being 
whom he worshiped ? So when he fixed upon 
his child the seal of the covenant, or carried it up 
with appropriate sacrifices to the temple, and made 
the consecration of it to God according to the law ; 
he did not, by these overt acts, acquire obligations, 
but simply recognized them as already existing, 
and impressed them indelibly on his heart. He 
was bound, before these acts, to educate his child 
for the service of Jehovah; but will any one, 
at all acquainted with human nature, deny that 
after these acts of public and solemn consecration, 
he realized more fully his obligations so to do ? 

Most fully do I believe that Abraham would 
have trained his household in religion, if God had 
not entered into formal covenant with him ; one 
provision of which covenant related to this very 
duty. But even in his case, eminent as he was in 
faith, I am persuaded that the solemn transaction 
referred to, was another ligature around his soul 
to bind him to the certain and faithful discharge 
of this duty. 

• I should consider myself as impugning the 
divine wisdom, to think lightly of a prescribed 
covenant, which had a relation to the performance 
of our duty, whether parental or personal. I do 
not contend that the external formality is itself 



113 THE ABKAHAMIC COVENANT. 

religion ; and I am aware that some, who differ 
from me in regard to the covenant under con- 
sideration, might take advantage of these remarks 
to say, that I was looking strongly in favor of 
papal or puseyistic ceremonies. Not so. There 
are extremes. The papists are on one extreme, 
and the Society of Friends, commonly known as 
Quakers, on the other. The papist runs into a 
religion of forms. Here is his error. The Quaker, 
by ignoring forms altogether, reducing worship to 
a mere contemplative exercise, loses the stay and 
support which scripturally enjoined forms would 
administer. Between these extremes, there lies a 
scriptural rule which we would do well to keep 
in view. 

It is for this reason I should prefer, independ- 
ent of a belief in their divine appointment, the 
scriptural symbols and expressions of piety, to the 
very abstract and mere mental religion of the 
Society of Friends. By this I do not mean to 
question their piety, but simply to state a prefer- 
ence, in my own case, and founded on my knowl- 
edge of human nature, for the outward symbols 
of religion as auxiliary to the increase of its 
power. 

It were easy to show that piety may exist, and 
many of its obligations be discharged, without all 



THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT. 113 

the formality of a church organization, without 
the sacraments, the public vows, the solemn 
pledges, and the reciprocal covenant among its 
members : but a Wisdom that is infinite has 
arranged all this, and required all this ; and a 
moment's reflection will convince any man. that 
if religion, without the circumstances enumerated, 
could exist, it would not be very likely to flourish 
or to extend itself. 

The same principles apply to the obligation of 
training up our children for the service of God. 
These obligations exist, we admit, anterior to, and 
even independent of, our covenant vows ; but 
these vows and this recognition of the covenant, 
are all important in giving distinctness and im- 
pressiveness to the parental duty, adding another 
motive, binding around the soul another cord ; that 
the obligation may press more constantly and 
heavily upon us. 

The entire ceremonial of ancient Israel was 
framed on this principle. And when seen in this 
light, how foolish and absurd are the objections 
which infidels have made to it on the score of 
puerility or cruelty. 

The same is true in relation to the covenant 
entered into with Abraham and his seed. The 
stipulations, were faithfulness on his part, and the 



114 THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT. 

fulfillment of the promises on the part of Jehovah. 
Harmless is the skeptic's sneer, that all this is 
unworthy of God, or that it looks too much like 
a bargain or contract. We must consider that 
God had in view the redemption of his people, 
and, therefore, it is not unworthy of him thus to 
condescend to their weaknesses. 

The covenant which God made with Abraham 
was to remain in force, not for one generation 
alone, but forever ; and is, therefore, very prop- 
erly called " an everlasting covenant." A sub- 
sidiary design it had, in saving the posterity of 
Abraham from being mingled with and lost among 
the nations of the earth. Its higher end, and its 
more enlarged provisions, had respect to the com- 
ing of Christ, and the gathering of all true 
believers into him as the spiritual seed. Though 
made originally with Abraham, it was not con- 
fined to him, nor to his descendants according to 
the flesh, but is the property of the whole church, 
so long as a church shall exist on earth. 

Abraham, it appears, was pre-eminent in faith. 
Still it seemed good, in the sight of God, to bind 
this man, holy as he was, and full of faith as he 
was, by special covenant obligations, to fulfill a 
certain duty towards his household, viz., to train 
them up in the fear and the service of God. 



THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT. 115 



SEAL OF THE COVENANT. 

This covenant, instituted in the family of the 
patriarch, had a formal and divinely appointed 
seal attached to it; and all the descendants of 
Abraham were required to recognize the covenant, 
by affixing to their male offspring the seal, and 
training them according to the divine precepts. 

That this arrangement had a powerful influence 
in promoting family religion, none I presume will 
deny ; and if this, or something analogous to this, 
be not continued under the New Testament dis- 
pensation, we shall have lost a great deal in one 
respect, whatever we may have gained in others. 

If the motive now to educate our children for 
God be only such as nature prompts, or the ordi- 
nary solicitude of piety would suggest ; if the 
covenant is gone, and with it all symbols, rites, 
and provisions are swept away, I again declare, 
we have lost a great deal. 

If nothing tantamount, in sign or significancy, 
be given to us under the new dispensation, we 
might also hazard the opinion, that we have lost 
an important auxiliary to piety ; and that our 
children have even less security now than un- 
der a darker and more imperfect dispensation, 



116 THE ABEAHAMIC COVENANT. 

that they will be trained up for God and for 
heaven. 

But I am not concerned for the honor of the 
New Testament dispensation in this respect. I 
am happy in the belief, that at least no abridgment 
of our privileges, no lessening of our obligations, 
marked its introduction. I see nothing that looks 
like exonerating parents from the duty, the sacred 
duty they owe to their offspring ; nothing that 
looks like a command to leave our children in the 
outer court, and without the sign of the covenant. 
No repulsive edict is found, whereby they are 
driven from the pale of the visible church. On the 
contrary, I find them spoken of, by high authority, 
as belonging to the " kingdom of heaven ; " a 
phrase not always used to represent future bless- 
edness, but sometimes, as in this instance, indi- 
cating, as I think, the church visible on earth. 

It was a principle too well established, to re- 
quire a new and distinct edict from our Lord, 
that, under the new dispensation, children should 
share, as they always had done, in the sign and 
privileges of the covenant. Hence we are to 
account, on the one hand, for the absence of such 
a specific enactment, and, on the other, for the 
practice of the Apostles in relation to household 
baptisms ; that no abridgment, in this respect, was 



THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT. 117 

to take place, was taken for granted. So that, 
instead of losing our privileges as parents, under 
the new dispensation, or finding them abridged, 
we have them reproduced in a milder form, and 
with more merciful associations. 

The parent now can feel, and, if a true child 
of Abraham, will feel, the duty of training his 
offspring for God ; not only from the promptings 
of love and piety, but also that he is allowed to 
add the force of vows and promises made under 
the Abrahamic covenant. That covenant stands 
unshaken as the everlasting hills. The abrogation 
of the Jewish ceremonial touched it not. It fell 
not with the rites and ceremonies of that dispen- 
sation. It was of older date, and was to be of 
longer continuance. It is this covenant, now in 
as full force as ever, changed in nothing but the 
outward sign or seal ; it is this " everlasting 
covenant," under which we are permitted to con- 
secrate by baptism our children, in view of the 
promises which were made first to Abraham, and 
successively to all his spiritual posterity. 

So reasoned one who thoroughly understood 
the subject. " Now to Abraham, and his seed, 
were the promises made ; — and if ye be Christ's, 
then are ye Abraham's seed, and hens according 
to the promise." 



IIS THE ABEAHAMIC COVENANT. 

Every true Christian, then, is of the seed of 
Abraham, and inherits, of course, all the promises 
made to Abraham. In this respect, his privileges 
and Abraham'- are equal and parallel. The cove- 
nant covers them both. There is no abridgment : 
no spiritual benefit which accrued to him. which 
does not accrue equally to them. It is clear, then, 
that we must enjoy the privilege of putting the 
seal of the covenant upon our offspring, as he did 
upon his. 

It is in vain to neutralize this argument, by 
referring to temporal pledges, which were included 
in or connected with this Abi niic covenant. 
The Apostles took care to prevent such an infer- 
ence. Peter said, on the day of pentecost. •• The 
promise is unto you and to your children." refer- 
ring to the promises of this very covenant, which 
declaration, of course, could have had no sort of 
reference to an earthly inheritance. It respected 
what was infinitelv better. 



THE BEAEINGS OF THIS COVENANT OX THE 
INCREASE OP THE CHTECH. 

As formerly, so now, God will perpetuate his 
church under this very covenant, and in the faith- 
ful discharge of its implied obligations. If a 



THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT. 119 

parent wishes to feel his responsibility, let him 
recognize this covenant, assume the vows of faith- 
fulness to his offspring, and promise and bind him- 
self, under its sanction, to educate them for the better 
world. This is the way to augment the power of 
principle, and to lay upon the parental heart a 
new and holy pressure to the discharge of duty. 

There is a sad and criminal neglect on this 
point ; and if it goes on and increases, Christians 
will be made sooner or later to deplore it. There 
is a tendency in some churches, even where the 
Abrahamic covenant is recognized, to think lightly 
of its privileges ; to neglect them ; to leave the 
young heritage of God among the aliens ; to with- 
hold from Jehovah his due ; and thus to weaken the 
force of family discipline and the motives to family 
religion. It is time this reproach was rolled off 
from the church of God. Of them who con- 
scientiously reject the obligations of infant conse- 
cration, under this covenant, we have nothing to 
say, except that we deem them to have lost a very 
precious and powerful motive to parental faithful- 
ness and household training; but we do think 
that there lies a terrible responsibility at the door 
of that parent, who admits that all Christians are 
Abraham's seed, and are bound to "walk in the 
steps of faithful Abraham ; " who admits this, 



120 THE ABRAIIAMIC COVENANT. 

and yet refuses to give up his children in trie 
same covenant relation, and to affix upon them 
the modified, though equally significant seal. 

But when these vows have been taken, how 
have they been fulfilled ? Have you, Christian 
parent, commanded your children, " that they keep 
the way of the Lord, to do justice and judg- 
ment ? " Can the high commendatory notice of 
Abraham be transferred over to yourself? Can 
you say, that the training of your children for 
God's service has had more constant and com- 
manding influence over you than all their tem- 
poral interests? Has the prayer of faith been 
poured over them ; the force of discipline been 
exerted, and the power of affectionate persuasion 
been tried ? Have you led them, by your own 
example, into right paths ? Have you constantly 
looked upon them as ' God's heritage ? ' Have 
you remembered the covenant, and pleaded in 
their behalf its gracious promises and provisions? 

If there is any thing which comes home to the 
parental bosom, it is questioning like this ! Allied 
by blood to the dear ones — held responsible for 
their training — knowing that what he does and 
says, every hour of their juvenile existence, is 
shaping their destiny for good or for evil — how 
can such a parent neglect any means indicated by 



THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT. 121 

nature or by revelation, which may be sanctified to 
the good of his children ? 

He has not discharged his whole duty — : he has 
only recognized it — when he has brought his child 
to God's altar, and had the sacred seal put upon it. 
Then, and thereafter, must he watch around it as 
its spiritual guardian, and leave no effort untried 
to bring it into the ark of salvation. God has 
given him the promise that he shall not labor in 
vain. c The promise is not only to him, but to 
his children.' Faith, and prayer, and scripture 
inculcation, will be rewarded by spiritual blessings 
poured out upon his offspring. To meet them in 
Heaven, should be his great aim : and oh, that at 
last he may be able to say, as he stands before the 
Judge of all the earth, " Here, Lord, am I, and 
the children whom Thou hast given me ! " 



9 



i 



CHAPTER Vin. 

INFANT BAPTISM AS RELATED TO THE ABRA- 
HAMIC COVENANT. 

Object of Paul in his Epistle to the Galatians — an incidental argument 
thence for infant baptism — baptism (infant) not abrogated with the 
ceremonial law — reasoning" of Paul to this effect — circumcision, its his- 
tory and original import — Abraham, under a gospel dispensation pros- 
pectively — his faith, and the sign or seal of it, viz., the seal of circum- 
cision — a seal of the righteousness of faith — the visible church in the 
patriarch's family — the seal or sign continued under the Levitical 
economy no nullification of its continuance or import — the seal being 
changed or modified as to what is external, to be applied as in the family 
of Abraham — not restricted to adults — reference to household baptism — 
additional arguments for infant baptism — identity of the church in all 
ages — illustrated in the vineyard and in the olive tree — no command for 
restricting it to adults — household baptism — condition of the primitive 
church — principles and practice of the Apostles — " believe and be bap- 
tized" — Lydia's baptism — the jailer's — Stephanus's — the import of the 
word oikos considered — children included in the idea — this illustrated — 
another argument — the unbelieving wife, &c. — children of such mar- 
riages, how related to the covenant — Dr. Doddridge's opinion. 

In the Epistle to the Galatians, one object of 
the Apostle is to show, that the conduct of Abra- 
ham — who was so much venerated, and so con- 
stantly appealed to, by the judaizing teachers — 
was an argument against justification by works, 
and in favor of justification by faith. We derive 
a very important incidental argument from the 



INFANT BAPTISM. 123 

Apostle's course of reasoning in favor of our prac- 
tice of infant baptism. 

It is alleged, by those who reject infant baptism, 
that as circumcision was a part of the ceremonial 
law, and as such was abrogated by Christ, it there- 
fore cannot be appealed to in favor of the practice. 
We are ready to concede, that if circumcision had 
never been known until the ceremonial law was 
given — if it was simply and solely a Jewish rite, 
having no origin anterior to the Levitical law — 
there would be some show of reason in the argu- 
ment. But when did circumcision begin ? and 
what was its original import ? It began, as all 
will admit, with Abraham, four hundred and 
thirty years before the Levitical law. What was 
its import ? It was " a seal of the righteousness 
of faith." " And Abraham received," says Saint 
Paul in Eomans, " the sign of circumcision, a seal 
of the righteousness of the faith which he had, 
being yet uncircumcised ;" and to this end, " that 
he might be the father of all them that be- 
lieve." 

Now will any deny that Abraham's faith was of 
the same nature as that of all other believers ? 
He knew nothing about the Levitical law. He 
was under a sort of gospel dispensation. "For 
the gospel," says Paul, " was preached unto Abra- 



i 



124 INFANT BAPTISM AS RELATED 

ham." In order to constitute him the father — in 
the sense of a great predecessor in the faith — the 
father of us all, the scripture (or God by the scrip- 
ture) "preached before the gospel unto Abraham." 
Here, then, we find Abraham under a gospel dis- 
pensation, before the legal or ceremonial rites 
were introduced by Moses ; exercising a faith just 
such as believers now exercise, only greater in 
degree. An initiatory rite or seal of this right- 
eousness of faith is by Jehovah appointed, and 
Abraham applies it to himself, and to his house- 
hold. Here, then, we have a visible church, built 
on faith in Christ — the promised seed — set up in 
the family of Abraham, with an appropriate sign 
or seal of admission, pronounced by the Apostle 
"a seal of the righteousness of faith." This was 
the state of things four hundred and thirty years 
before the Levitical laws were established. 

Does the fact, that this " seal of the righteous- 
ness of faith " was continued under the Levitical 
economy, destroy its primary and original import ; 
or allow us to annihilate it with the extinction of 
other simply ceremonial rites ? This seal (circum- 
cision) had two designs ; the primary and original 
and all-important one, first, as a "seal of the 
righteousness of faith ; " and secondly, it served, 
by a mark in the flesh, to keep the Jewish distinct 



TO THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT. 125 

from the heathen nations, until the promised seed 
should come. This latter was its secondary, or 
inferior and temporary design. When Christ, the 
promised seed, came, this secondary design of 
course was then completed ; and it was no longer 
necessary, for that reason, to keep it in practice,. 
But is the great primary intention, namely, as " a 
seal of the righteousness of faith," to be also lost 
sight of ? — or, on the supposition that the rite o£ 
baptism is also " a seal of the righteousness of faith," 
which none will deny, and is come to supersede 
the harsher one of circumcision, will any under- 
take to say, that, as the import of the two rites are 
the same, the application of them should not be ?. 
How, without an express prohibition, can we limit 
the " seal of the righteousness of faith " in our 
day to adults, when in Abraham's day it was ap- 
plied to the whole household ? 

The gospel was preached to Abraham. So says- 
Paul. Abraham believed it. Here is gospel faith 
in the head of the household ; accordingly he, the 
head, receives the sign of circumcision as a seal of 
the righteousness of faith. But he has children 
and servants. They too, says God, must receive 
the same seal, though not capable, some of them,, 
of understanding its import. They accordingly 
do receive it ; and Abraham thus obligates himself 



126 INFANT BAPTISM AS RELATED 

to train them up in the principles of that faith 
which he has embraced. 

The gospel is preached to the head of a family, 
in gospel times — say to the jailer, or Lydia. He 
or she believes it. The seal of the righteousness 
of faith is accordingly administered. It is not now 
circumcision, but baptism — a milder rite, but of 
the same import. But what of the household? 
Shall they not receive the seal ? Shall the jailer 
or Lydia be told that, though they have the same 
faith as Abraham, and receive the seal, as he did, 
of the righteousness of faith, yet that they must 
not walk in his steps in regard to applying the 
seal to their households ? Did the Apostle say to 
them, ' Your households cannot have the same priv- 
ileges which his had, and which Jewish families 
generally have ? ' Must he say to them, c The vis- 
ible church is now restricted to adults, and the 
children have no connection with it ? ' How strange 
this would have sounded ! How unlike that voice 
which said, " Suffer the little children to come 
unto me, and forbid them not ; for of such is the 
kingdom of God ! " 

But no such restriction is, by the Apostle, an- 
nounced. He, the jailer, is baptized, "and all 
his, straightway" And she, Lydia, is baptized, 
" and her household" This looks much more like 



TO THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT. 127 

walking in the steps of faithful Abraham ; and is 
more like the realization of that " promise, which 
is to us, and to our children" 



ADDITIONAL ARGUMENTS FOR INFANT BAPTISM. 

The identity of the church, in all ages, is 
proved, not only by the faith of Abraham, but of 
all true Israelites. The gospel no where, ac- 
cording to the Apostles, made essentially a new 
church. It was a new dispensation. It was the 
fullness of times. A great enlargement of light 
and knowledge, and an important change in the 
external services of the church took place. But 
there was no new faith ; no faith different in its 
nature and object from that of the Old Testa- 
ment saints. This is beautifully illustrated by the 
parable of the vineyard. The vineyard is the 
same ; but new laborers are put into it. It is also 
illustrated by the olive tree and its branches. This 
tree was planted in patriarchal times. Abraham 
was an important branch of it; so were all his 
spiritual descendants ; and these were never lopped 
off. But the lineal descendants, in distinction 
from the spiritual — for all are not Israel that are 
of Israel — mere nominal Jewish professors, were, 
for their rejection of Christ, broken off ; and the 



128 INFANT BAPTISM AS RELATED 

true root and stocky still vital and the same, re- 
ceived a new engrafting from the Gentiles. 

Now, unless there is an express command that, 
under the new dispensation, the children of the 
saints shall not be eligible, by any external rite, 
to any sort of membership, we must consider our 
privileges in the Christian church co-extensive at 
least with those of the Old Testament saints. But 
there is no such ostracism or excision to be found 
in the New Testament. On the contrary, we find 
Christ saying, "Of such," referring to children, 
"is the kingdom of God." 

HOUSEHOLD BAPTISM. 

We find that when, in obedience to their Lord's 
command, the Apostles went forth to make dis- 
ciples, they baptized and admitted to the visible 
church not only the head of the household, but 
the household itself. Hence we infer no curtail- 
ment of privileges under the New Testament, but 
the continuation of infant membership as under 
the Old. 

It weighs very little with me, to hear it asserted, 
against this view, that ( thousands are said to 
have believed, and to have been added to the 
church, both men and women, whilst there is no 



TO THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT. 129 

mention of children.' Here, it is thought, is a 
triumphant refutation of the idea of household 
baptism. But let us look at it. 

In the forming state of the church, and amid 
the intense excitement of a pentecostal revival, 
what other representation would have been natu- 
ral ? When sweeping into the church four or 
five thousand at a time, it could hardly be ex- 
pected that reference should be made to the chil- 
dren ; as their privilege, in this respect, was a 
matter of after consideration, and of personal 
parental responsibility. The multitudes, also, who 
joined the church by baptism on the day of pente- 
cost, were strangers from a distance. They had 
left their households, to come up to the appointed 
feast. It was a great accidental congregation of 
adults, — Parthians, Medes, Elamites, &c. 

But to ascertain the principles and practice of 
the Apostles, in regard to this matter, it is far 
more satisfactory and conclusive to take the conver- 
sion of the head of a house, presenting a distinct 
and well-defined case of parental obligation. This 
we have in the example of the jailer and of Lydia. 
In these instances, we see how household baptism 
was viewed by the Apostles. The rite is adminis- 
tered not only to the head, who alone professes the 
faith, but to all his, and to all hers straightway. 



130 INFANT BAPTISM AS RELATED 

6 Believe and be baptized/ it is said. Of 
course, Paul would not have administered the 
rite to a Lydia without a profession of her faith. 
But does it follow, that Lydia's household, even 
without her faith, or only upon her faith, may not 
receive the sign of baptism as a seal of the right- 
eousness of faith ? 

The facts in the case are a sufficient answer. 
But how do we know that the purple vender of 
Thyatira had any children ; or that the jailer of 
Phillippi had ; or that Stephanas had ? 

In replying to this, we are brought to another 
form of argument in favor of infant or household 
baptism. 

The Greek term for house is ' oiTcos? — a term 
the meaning of which must be ascertained by its 
connection or application. When Paul says, he 
baptized the house ( f oikon ') of Stephanas, every 
person knows that he refers to his family, not his 
abode. Hence the meaning of the term house, in 
this connection, is settled. I baptized, says the 
Apostle, only two adults in Corinth. He was 
thankful he had baptized no more, since a con- 
troversy on that subject was raging among them. 
I baptized also, he goes on to say, one household, 
viz., that of Stephanas. 

In Timothy, it is said, " A bishop must rule 



TO THE ABTtAHAMTC OOTENAOT. 131 

well his own house ; " and to show what the 
house means, or includes, Paul continues, " hay- 
ing his children in subjection." Here the house, 
or l oikos,' embraces, as we see, the children. 
Again ; if any widows haye children, let them — 
that is, the children — learn first to show piety in 
their house. Our translators haye rendered it, 
"at home." In 2 Timothy i. 16, "The Lord 
give mercy unto the 'house' of Onesiphorus, for 
he oft refreshed me." Here Paul does not say, 
they oft refreshed me, but he ; and for this, prays 
that God would giye mercy to his u house," 
meaning, eyidently, his children. That Paul sends 
his salutation to the same household does not 
weaken my position ; no more than it would 
proye that no children were in a family to whom, 
from preyious acquaintance, you might feel dis- 
posed to send your kind regards. 

In Hebrews xi 7 : w By faith Noah prepared an 
ark to the saying of his house." His house meant 
his family, children included. The Apostle Peter 

s, that this preparation of the ark for the saying 
of his house, was a figure of baptism, or that bap- 
tism is a figure like unto that ; so that household 
baptism is strongly intimated by the two passages 
taken in connection. 

AYe are now, I think, prepared with an answer 



182 INFANT BAPTISM AS RELATED 

to the inquiry, 'How do we know that there 
were children in the households baptized by the 
Apostles ? ' In the references which I have made 
to the house, (or e oikos,') the idea of children 
is almost the only idea embraced hi the term ; so 
that when the house of the jailer or of Lydia is 
spoken of as being admitted to the rite of bap- 
tism, the impression is, and can only be, that of 
children and dependents. They were not old 
people, and the inference is, and must be, that 
their oikos, or house, must have been constituted 
of comparatively young children. 

Take any five or six families in any country, 
and assert, concerning all of them, that the same 
blessings or calamities had happened to them ; 
that sickness had smitten these families ; that it 
had smitten ' all his or all hers ; ' or that some 
signal good had happened to all his or all hers, 
in these four or five families : and is there any 
common sense man, who would doubt, for a mo- 
ment, that there were children in some of these 
families, if not all ? 

We have then household baptism established 
beyond all question ; and the evidence is as strong 
as any reasonable mind could wish, that there 
were little children in some, if not in all of these 
households. 



TO THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT, 133 

One more argument, founded on the reasoning 
of the Apostle Paul, (in 1 Cor. vii. 14,) will add 
weight to what has already been shown in regard 
to the extent and obligations of Christian baptism. 
" For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the 
wife, (she being a believer ;) and the unbelieving 
wife is sanctified by the husband, (he being a 
believer ;) else were your children unclean ; but 
now are they holy." 

The question is, as to the meaning of this pas- 
sage. On the conversion of a wife or husband, 
(being pagans,) the question arose first, Shall they 
separate ? Paul says, No, provided the pagan wife 
or husband chooses to adhere. Christianity shall 
not separate them ; it shall be even a means of 
sanctifying the unconverted party. Nor shall it be 
a barrier to the children's being admitted to Chris- 
tian privileges, baptism especially ; for where one 
of the parties is a Christian, the children may be 
considered as rightly entitled to Christian privi- 
leges. "Else were your children unclean, but 
now are they holy." Every Jew knew what these 
terms, and this distinction of ' unclean and holy ' 
meant. It did not mean ' legitimate or illegiti- 
mate,' as some have said. Nothing of the kind. 
The unclean, was that which could not be offered 
up to God. The holy, or clean, was that which 



134 INFANT BAPTISM AS RELATED 

could be offered to God. The infants of pagans 
tv ere no more unclean (morally) than others, for 
all are, by nature, children of wrath ; nor were 
the children of Christians i holy,' in the sense of 
moral purity. But the children of pagans were 
not proper subjects of baptism. Ceremonially, 
they were as unclean. But where one of the 
parties — a wife or husband — was brought into 
covenant, the offspring, for that reason, was cere- 
monially clean, and entitled to the privilege of 
baptism. 

I am fortified in this opinion by the learned Dr. 
Doddridge. In his paraphrase on this passage, 
he says, u For in such a case the unbelieving 
husband is so sanctified to the wife, and the unbe- 
lieving wife is so sanctified to the husband, that 
their matrimonial converse is as lawful as if they 
were both of the same faith ; otherwise your chil- 
dren, in these mixed cases, were unclean, and 
must be looked upon as unfit to be admitted to 
those peculiar ordinances, by which the seed of 
God's people are distinguished : bur now they are 
confessedly holy, and are as readily admitted to 
baptism, in all our churches, as if both parents 
were Christians ; so that the case, you see, is in 
effect decided by this prevailing practice." 

To this Dr. Doddridge adds, in a note, the fol- 



TO THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT. 135 

lowing, viz. : " On the maturest and most impar- 
tial consideration of this text, I must judge it to 
refer to infant baptism. Nothing can be more 
apparent than that the word holy, signifies persons 
who might be admitted to partake of the distin- 
guishing rites of God's people; and as for the 
interpretation which so many of our brethren (the 
Baptists) have contended for, that holy signifies 
legitimate, and unclean illegitimate, (not to urge 
that this seems an unscriptural sense of the w^ord,) 
nothing can be more evident, that the argument 
will by no means bear it ; for it would be proving 
a thing by itself (idem per idem) to argue, that 
the converse of the parents was lawful, because 
the children were not bastards ; whereas all who 
thought the converse of the parents unlawful, 
must of course think the children were illegiti- 
mate." 

Without dwelling longer on the subject, or 
accumulating arguments, as we might, in proof of 
the prevalence and perpetuity of infant dedication, 
under all the phases of the church, from Abra- 
ham's day to our own, I would, in conclusion, just 
say, that every Christian parent should understand 
and perform his duty, in regard to this matter. 
Being Christ's, he is Abraham's seed, and an heir 
to all the privileges of the covenant made with 



136 INFANT BAPTISM. 

Abraham. f The promise is to him and to his 
children.' His privileges and Abraham's are equal 
and parallel. Under the Xew Testament dispen- 
sation there is no abridgment, no diminution. Is 
it not the duty, then, of ever} 7 Christian parent, — 
and, we may add, one of his most precious privi- 
leges, — to place the seal of the covenant upon his 
offspring, as Abraham did upon his ? 



CHAPTER IX. 

RELATION OF BAPTIZED CHILDREN TO THE 
CHURCH. 

In what sense baptism makes children members of the church — Abraham's 
family a proper type — relation of children to the church under the 
Mosaic economy — under the Christian economy — put on the ground of 
the domestic " ecclesia" — St. Paul's example as to the treatment of 
households, such as that of Lydia and the jailer — children members 
of the church general rather than of any church in particular — the 
responsibility of training and discipline on the parent — the church has 
a duty — its nature and extent — watch and care, sympathy and instruc- 
tion, rather than discipline — these views fortified by the late eminent 
Dr. Dwight — quotations lorn Dr. Dwight — the baptized child's right to 
the Lord's supper considered — the discipline of refractory children, to 
whom is it referred — the church possesses an indirect control through 
the parent — the duties of the church stated. 

It is a natural and very proper inquiry, What 
is the relation of baptized children to the church 
of God ? In what sense does baptism make them 
members of the church ? 

If we establish the analogy between Abraham's 
privileges and those of Christian parents ; so that 
the same covenant engagements, promises, and 
blessings, apply to both ; it follows, that the rela- 
tion in which Abraham's children stood to the 
10 



138 RELATION OF BAPTIZED CHILDREN 

church, will be a sort of type of a similar relation 
in regard to baptized children now. 

It must be evident that the patriarch's family was 
a church organization. It was the depository of 
the true religion. Abraham was the responsible 
head and high priest of his household. His chil- 
dren, having received " the seal of the righteous- 
ness of faith/' were the members of this infant 
church. He instructed them in the faith which 
terminated on the promised seed ; and taught them 
to fear and obey God. He was responsible to 
Jehovah for the faithful training of his household : 
and the children were amenable to him ; being 
bound to pay due reverence to his authority, and 
render implicit obedience to his commands. The 
disciplinary power lay in his hands. This was the 
order and organization until the bringing in the 
Mosaic economy. 

"When the Levitical law was promulgate:!, at 
Sinai, express statutes were enacted in regard to 
children, viz, — that they should be consecrated; 
that every male child should have the seal of the 
Abrahamic covenant put upon him ; and that he 
should be regarded by this sign, as one of the peo- 
ple of God. As he grew up, he came under obli- 
gations to fulfill all the ceremonial law ; and par- 
took of the privileges of the Jewish church. 



TO THE CHURCH. 139 

The question in regard to baptized children, 
under the Christian economy, is, whether their 
relation to the church shall be decided by the 
example of a domestic church, as in the family of 
Abraham ; or by the style and manner adopted, 
under the more formal and ritual economy of 
Moses ? 

I prefer putting their relation on the ground of 
the domestic " ecclesia ; M after the example of 
Abraham ; especially as it is to his example we 
refer in establishing the authority of infant con- 
secration and infant baptism. If the same faith is 
in us that was hi him : — if the covenant made 
with him, is made equally with us, having refer- 
ence, as the Apostle declares, not to the law which 
was four hundred and thirty years after, but to the 
gospel as preached to Abraham and believed by 
him; — it seems to me, a natural and necessary 
inference, that our children, when dedicated as his- 
were dedicated ; having a seal of the same import- 
affixed to them, viz., " the seal of the righteous- 
ness of faith," should stand in the same relation to 
the church of God, as his children stood; and have 
exercised towards them the same moral discipline 
and instruction. 

Such seems to have been the idea of the Apostle 
Paul in regard to the households which he baptized. 



140 RELATION OF BAPTIZED CHILDREN 

Take the jailer's house, for example. There was no 
church organization at Philippic when the jailer's 
conversion and baptism took place. It was proba- 
bly the seed from which the church, afterwards 
addressed by Paul, sprung. It began in his family 
and that of Lydia. It was in the first instance a 
domestic organization. The jailer may be said 
to have personated the patriarch ; whilst his chil- 
dren, by bearing " the seal of the righteousness 
of faith," were placed in a relation similar to 
the children of Abraham, who is * the father 
of all them that believe, whether Jews or Gen- 
tiles.' He and his house belonged, of course, to 
the church of God. And yet there was no par- 
ticular church, to which they could be said to have 
belonged. If, afterwards, there was one formed, 
by the voluntary association of believers — cove- 
nanting together for that purpose — it would not 
nullify the relation in which they already stood to 
the church of God in general. Suppose there 
had never been any conversions in Philippi but 
that of the jailer ; and that he and his family — 
being baptized into Christ — had lived and died 
disconnected from any particular church organiza- 
tion ; will any deny that he and his, stood related 
by covenant and promise to the great general 



TO THE CHURCH. 141 

church of God, just as Abraham and his family- 
stood related to it ? 

We will next suppose that a church organiza- 
tion was formed at Philippi — as we know that, 
at some subsequent period, there was — and that 
the jailer became a member of it. Did his bap- 
tized children, by that act — supposing that as yet 
they were of irresponsible age — did they, upon 
his covenanting with other Christians in a particu- 
lar church organization, and for mutual edifica- 
tion; become members of that particular church? 
Not necessarily, we reply. They belonged, by 
their baptism, to the church general, as the jailer 
himself did, before covenanting with brethren in 
a particular church organization. If any of his 
children were of sufficient age, and, possessing the 
requisite qualifications, united with him in this 
new and particular church connection, then they 
were members both of the church general, and of 
the church of Philippi in particular. But if still 
children, and not of requisite age and qualifica- 
tions for such an act as the one contemplated, 
they were not members of the church at Philippi ; 
but they were members of the church of God 
in general. Had the jailer never had the privi- 
lege of joining any particular church, the church 
in such case would have been, for all prac- 



142 RELATION OF BAPTIZED CHILDREN 

tical purposes, confined to his own house- 
hold. He would have been responsible for the 
training and moral discipline put forth upon 
the household members. Nor was this respon- 
sibility to be transferred to any particular church 
with which afterwards he might have united. 
It still abided upon him. The church might 
aid him in the work; and be of great service 
by extending their sympathies, and offering him 
their counsels, and throwing around his house- 
hold their affections and their prayers. They 
might even institute, as, according to the early his- 
tory of the church, they did, catechetical instruc- 
tion and particular training ; but the primary 
responsibility, after all, lay on the hands of the 
covenanting parent. The church must act upon 
the children mainly through the parent, teaching 
him his duty towards them, and urging upon 
him the obligations of the requisite discipline. It 
was he who covenanted * to train up his children 
in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.' 

The church has often been blamed, and I fear 
but too justly, for neglecting her duty towards the 
baptized children. But it is necessary for the 
church to know what her duty is ; and this she 
can only know by finding out what the rela- 
tion is, subsisting between her and the baptized 




TO THE CHURCH. 143 

children of those who belong to her particular 
communion. She has duties towards these chil- 
dren, solemn and onerous. To instruct them, to 
care for their souls, to pray for them, to watch over 
them, and to sympathize deeply with the parent 
in all his efforts to bring them up for Christ and 
his church, — these are her duties ; which I fear 
are not in general faithfully discharged. But she 
cannot take from the parent the primary responsi- 
bility, which was assumed by the baptismal vows ; 
nor can she interfere in the way of discipline, since 
the children have not entered into covenant with 
that particular church organization. They belong, 
by then- baptism, to the church of God in general. 
When they choose voluntarily to unite with any 
particular church, then discipline is in the hands 
of that church, and may be, and must be exer- 
cised. 

That these views are neither new nor strange ; 
that they have Scripture and reason as their foun- 
dation, will, I think, be evident to all candid in- 
quirers. I am happy also to bring to their sup- 
port, so eminent an authority as that of the late 
President Dwight. 

After a convincing train of argument, he says : 
" From all these facts, it is evident that a person 
may be a member of the church of Christ at large, 



144 RELATION OF BAPTIZED CHILDREN 

and not a member of a particular church. A min- 
ister is a member of the church of Christ at large, 
but is never, in the proper sense, a member of a 
particular church. Peculiarly is this evident when 
he is dismissed in good standing. An evangelist 
also ; that is, a minister ordained at large, and hav- 
ing no particular church committed to his care ; is 
a minister in the church general, and is acknowl- 
edged as such by all those who acknowledge the 
validity of his ordination. He is not, in any sense, 
the minister of a particular church, nor in any 
sense a member of such a church. 

u When an adult offers himself for baptism, he 
professes his faith, and enters into covenant with 
God ; or makes a profession of piety. He then 
receives baptism, as a seal, on the part of God, of his 
own covenant with the man, and of his acceptance 
of him into his family. As this seal is voluntarily 
received by the man, it becomes also his own seal 
of his own covenant with God ; a solemn and final 
acknowledgment of his enrollment in the same 
family. He is now therefore a member of the 
church, and may lawfully commune at Christ's 
table, wherever his fellow Christians will receive 
him. 

"The eunuch, -who was baptized by Philip, was 
in all respects in this situation. He made a pro- 



TO THE CHURCH. 145 

fession of religion, and was baptized. He was 
therefore a member of the Christian church ; but 
he was a member of the church general only, and 
not of any particular church. He could not have 
acted as a member of such a church in any eccle- 
siastical measure ; nor voted in the regulations of 
worship, communion, or discipline. 

" This I conceive to be exactly the situation of 
persons baptized in infancy. They are members 
of the church of Christ ; that is, of the church 
general. They are members in the same sense 
in which the eunuch was a member ; in which 
adults, after their profession and baptism, are 
members antecedently to their union with par- 
ticular churches. 

"What then it will be asked, constitutes per- 
sons members of particular churches ? The answer 
is at hand : it is a covenant mutually made by 
Christians, to worship God together, and in the 
same manner, and in accordance with the same 
principles ; and to unite together in the same fel- 
lowship and in the same discipline. This cove- 
nant and this alone binds them together as a 
church. None of the persons mentioned above, 
are, at the time supposed, parties to such a cove- 
nant, and therefore none of them are members of 
a particular church. 



146 RELATION OF BAPTIZED CHILDREN 

•• Baptism r-::^:^ any pens :u mamlc :: mm.:- 
bership in a particular murch. if he is disposed 
and otherwise prepared to unite himself to ir. But 
neither tin-, nor Ins profession of religion, will 
cons:i:n:e him such a member. This can be 
in no ether way, but by means of that mutual 
covenant between him and the mumh, which has 
been mentioned a: mea* 

It is cleaa. if these statements and 
be admitted, that the baptized child is a member 
of the munch general, anterior to and independent 
of any connection with a particular church. The 
particular church may and should spread its arms 
over the child and cherish its spiritual interests in 
every way possible : but the orimary obligatim to 
instruct and to discipline i: lies with the covenant- 
ing parent 

THE BAPTIZED CHILD ? S RIGHT TO THE LORD'S 
SETTER. 



Has the bap* 


ized ( 


mma 


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- j _- i 


:uusuig ire 


■m 


its 


i • 


cnur : 


n gei 


:erU 


to 


., - , 


-> 


•) 


rtm-mun ,0 me 


p^ma^e '. 


-- 


Lue 


Lord's Supper 


\ Ui 


m . a . 




it 


has, if it 




fOBr 


sesses the spirit 


oal m 


mum 


aenm 


; - 


It is not, 


h.( 


>w . 


ever, consideret 


V CU 'C: 


. _' J JC ., 


an: a 


wit 


n en iir en 




:1m 


and practice, as 


establ 


isned 




. _ t 


is, for the 


CI 


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TO THE CHURCH. 147 

to avail himself of this right and privilege until 
he shall have formally united with some particular 
church. Intermediately, his right to the ordinance 
may be acknowledged ; but for prudential reasons, 
as where he is yet very young and inexperienced, 
it may be deemed best for him to remain in a state 
of abeyance ; until his Christian character shall be 
more fully developed, and his understanding of 
Christian duty be clearer and more comprehen- 
sive. 

It is for each particular church to judge in regard 
to whom the door of its privileges shall be opened ; 
and the same judgment she must exercise as to 
what would be deemed a proper age on the part of 
those who may seek admission to her communion. 
Meanwhile the child may be in training, by paren- 
tal and pastoral instruction, in i egard to the nature 
of Christian ordinances ; particularly that of the 
Lord's supper ; so that when the time shall come 
in which it will be prudent and proper for it to 
enter into covenant with the church, the consecra- 
tion may be made, with an intelligent view of all 
the obligations which such a profession implies. 

But suppose the child should come to its death- 
bed before the door shall have been opened for it 
into a particular church, and, desiring to obey the 
Saviour's command in regard to the supper, shall 



148 RELATION OF BAPTIZED CHILDREN 

ask for it at the hands of the minister ; shall not 
the child; in such a case, be allowed to partake ? 
I see no reason, on the supposition that there is 
evidence of piety, why he should be refused. 
Baptism is administered at times to the dying, 
professing their faith in Jesus ; why, then, under 
similar circumstances, should the ordinance of the 
supper be withheld from this young disciple ? It 
is an extreme case, justifying a departure from 
rules and practices ordinarily and properly ob- 
served, in regard to persons in health ; and so 
cannot be made a precedent for weakening the 
obligations of a public and formal confession of 
Christ. 

But again ; a question of kindred but somewhat 
different nature may be suggested, viz. : Shall the 
baptized child, who gives no evidence of spiritual 
qualifications, be allowed to come to the Lord's 
table ? If, hi this case, there be an impediment to 
this privilege, it lies not in the fact, that he is not 
a member of the church general — for his baptism 
makes him such — but in the fact, that he has not 
the spiritual qualifications to " discern the Lord's 
body," which the child before-named had. The 
privileges of the one are the same as of the other, 
provided they are prepared in heart to appreciate 
and enjoy them. If the unconverted child is 






TO THE CHURCH. 149 

given to understand that he is bound to have the 
qualifications for partaking of the supper, and that 
this lack subjects him to the divine displeasure, 
it is a powerful lever, in the hands of parental 
faithfulness, which should be used for the spiritual 
benefit of the child. Whilst refusing to commemo- 
rate the Lord's death ; and for the reason assigned, 
viz., the want of a heart to love and obey him, 
the child is under a sort of discipline which he 
should be made to feel, through the prayers, and 
counsels, and entreaties of his anxious parent. 
The church also should throw their sympathies in 
with the parents, and assist, by every lawful and 
proper means of co-operation, to bring this child 
to a realization of his sin and to a full surrender of 
his heart to Christ. 

Were the subject viewed in this light, and did 
the parent, and the church to which that parent 
belongs, unite in efforts and prayers, earnestly and 
in faith put forth, with a view to reclaim the young 
heart to its God ; we can have little doubt, that the 
God of Abraham would fulfill his part of the cove- 
nant, in imparting the needful qualifications ! 

And here permit me to recur again to the state- 
ment of the Rev. Dr. Dwight, touching this 
point. 

"The discipline of all such persons" [referring 



150 RELATION OF BAPTIZED CHILDREN 

to baptized children] u during the years of minor- 
ity, is committed supremely to their parents and 
guardians." " Were the church to interfere di- 
rectly in the government of persons thus situated, 
two independent jurisdictions would exist over the 
same subject, at the same time, and with respect to 
the same things. These in their exercise could 
not fail to clash, in many instances. If both juris- 
dictions are right and scriptural, the child would 
not know which to obey. But the Scriptures have 
settled this point, by requiring him to obey his 
parents in all things, and informing him that this 
is well-pleasing unto the Lord. Hence I infer 
that the direct jurisdiction of the church over the 
child, must be merely nominal, and can exist to no 
valuable purpose. 

"The church possess s an indirect control over 
the child, by the control which it has over the 
parents ; and this it is bound to exercise in every 
proper manner. 

" The parents are members of a particular 
church ; and therefore subject to its discipline. 
Every church is accordingly bound to require such 
parents as are members of it, to instruct and gov- 
ern their children, and to walk before them agree- 
ably to the gospel. The church is bound to see 
that all this is actually done, and to call to a solemn 



TO THE CHURCH. 151 

account all its members, who neglect or violate 
these duties. This is a control which, if duly ex- 
ercised, cannot fail of being beneficial to the chil- 
dren. Any other must, I think, be of course 
injurious. 

" The several members of a church are, in my 
view, bound also to reprove and admonish bap- 
tized persons, whom they see in the commission 
of sin. 

" Baptized persons have a peculiar claim on pro- 
fessing Christians for this office of love ; and are 
bound to receive it with humility and reforma- 
tion. 

" Ministers ought, in my view, to make it a 
business of their office distinctly to unfold to them 
the nature of their relation to God and his church ; 
and solemnly to enforce on them the duties arising 
from this relation, particularly the duties of re- 
pentance and faith in the Redeemer; of giving 
themselves up to God in his covenant ; and taking 
upon themselves openly the character of Christians. 
The same things should be explicitly and solemnly 
enjoined, from time to time, upon their parents ; 
one of whose first duties it is, to cooperate faithfully 
with their ministers in teaching and enjoining these 
things upon their children. Were these things 
begun so soon as their children were capable of 



152 RELATION OF BAPTIZED CHILDREN 

understanding them, and pursued through every 
period of their non-age, a fair prospect, as it seems 
to me, would be opened for the vigorous growth, 
and abundant fruitfulness of this nursery of the 
church. 

" I will further suggest, that it is a part of the 
duty of the church, at their meetings for evangel- 
ical conversation and prayer, to summon the bap- 
tized persons, who are minors, to be present at 
convenient seasons, while the church offers up 
prayers to God peculiarly for them. Were all 
these things regularly and faithfully done, (and 
they all seem to grow out of the circumstances of 
persons baptized in their infancy,) I cannot help 
believing that a new face would, in a great meas- 
ure, be put upon the condition and character of the 
persons in question. It must be acknowledged 
that much less attention is paid to them in modern 
than in ancient times ; at least by churches in gen- 
eral, and less I think by ourselves than by our 
ancestors." 

REFORM NEEDED. 

In regard to this whole subject, there needs to 
be a revival of parental and ecclesiastical obliga- 
tion. The parent must look deeply into this mat- 



TO THE CHURCH. 153 

ter. The primary responsibility lies upon him. 
The child is " bone of his bone, and flesh of his 
flesh." It lives in the moral atmosphere which his 
spirit and conduct create. Has he offered it to 
God, as in duty bound ? Has he thenceforward 
regarded it as set apart for God ; — and has he, by 
prayer, and by pious counsels, and by a Christian 
example, endeavored to carry out the obligations 
of the covenant ? 

The church, too, has a duty to that parent ; and 
to the child, through that parent. Has she forgot- 
ten what Christ said : " Feed my lambs " ? Has she 
left these lambs to wander from the fold, without 
even a call to return, or an effort to bring them 
back ? Has she seen the prowling wolves devour- 
ing them before her eyes, with scarcely an attempt 
to rescue them ; as if her duty consisted only in. 
marking them with the sign of the covenant, and 
then sending them to the wilderness to be lost, or 
devoured by wild beasts ? No wonder the baptis- 
mal covenant is fallen into disrepute. No wonder 
we are charged with believing one thing, and prac- 
ticing another. No wonder religion languishes,, 
and household discipline is on the wane. God 
will never be pleased with us as parents, nor pros- 
per us as churches, until we have a more sacred 
regard to his covenant. There must be a revival of 
11 



154 BAPTIZED CHILDREN. 

household piety. Parents must perform their duty 
to their children. They must command them in 
what is right, and teach them what is true ; and 
restrain them from what is evil, or of evil ten- 
dency. 

And the churches should expend some of their 
zeal and employ much of their time in educating 
the baptized children ; and cooperate with their 
parents, in this most needful work. There is need 
of a reform on this point ; and a greater good or 
better example can scarcely be imagined, than for 
some church to present us with a model of what 
is due to God and to the rising generation, in the 
faithful care and training of the baptized children 
within the sphere of its influence. 



CHAPTER X. 

PRACTICAL QUESTIONS. 

Practical question — how young - shall a child be admitted to membership in 
the church? — the bearing's of this question upon the child, and upon the 
church — inference from the preceding reasoning' — very young children 
sometimes admitted — peculiar cases justifying it — better in general to 
wait for more age and experience — possibility of deception in regard to a 
spiritual change — difference in intelligence and moral training — a church 
to be guided by circumstances — safe rule not to admit too young — from 
twelve and upwards a reasonable limit. 

A number of practical questions arise, in con- 
nection with those obligations which respect the 
religious training of households. ' The child of 
the covenant ' having been consecrated in its in- 
fancy, may give signs that it is also by regeneration 
a child of God. It may have pleased God to have 
implanted in its tender heart the seeds of a life 
eternal ; and as it grows in stature, it may, like 
some mentioned in the Scriptures, grow also in 
favor with G od and man. In its very first develop- 
ments of character, it may give evidence that it has 
experienced the grace of God. Or, by the prayers 
and under the training of a pious parentage, it may 
be brought, in its juvenile existence, to give its 



156 PRACTICAL QUESTIONS. 

young heart to the Saviour. Even in early child- 
hood, it may experience a genuine conversion. 

Under these circumstances, a question for serious 
consideration is : How soon shall this child be 
allowed to enter into covenant with God's people, 
and so avail itself of the full privileges of the 
church of God 1 

The bearings of this question are twofold. The 
child's own spiritual improvement is intimately 
concerned in it ; and also what is the duty of any 
given church to which application may be made in 
its behalf for membership. What rule should be 
laid down by a church in regard to such. applica- 
tion I 

According to reasoning already adopted, and as 
we think correct in the premises, if the child be a 
subject of grace in its infancy, it has a right to par- 
take of the ordinance of the supper, as it was pre- 
viously and properly admitted to the church in 
general, by the ordinance of baptism. The ordi- 
nance of the supper is for all who love the Lord 
Jesus Christ. By the supposition, this child loves 
the Saviour, and of course should be permitted to 
commemorate his dying love. It might be ex- 
pedient however, and very proper, as we have 
intimated, to postpone the admission of an infant 
member to full church privileges, until such time 



PRACTICAL QUESTIONS. 157 

as he or she can take an intelligent view of the 
nature of the covenant, and also of the obligations 
which it imposes. This could not be considered 
an unwarrantable abridgment of privileges, pro- 
vided the delay was insisted upon, as much for 
the good of the youthful Christian as for pruden- 
tial reasons in connection with the purity of the 
church. 

We do not consider the sacrament of the sup- 
per as a saving ordinance, any more than we do 
the ordinance of baptism. It is a sealing and 
sanctifying ordinance, and important as a means 
of grace; but its participation is not indispen- 
sable to salvation. Still, as we have conceded, 
there might be an extreme case, as on the death- 
bed, where a child having a strong desire to enjoy 
this ordinance, and possessing the qualifications ; 
it might be proper to deviate somewhat from an 
established custom. It would be expedient there- 
fore, and very proper, to postpone the admission of 
an infant member to full church privileges, until 
such time as it can intelligently understand the 
nature of a profession, and the obligations which 
it imposes or implies. 

If the case is one where uncommon intelligence 
is combined with ardent piety, of which pious pa- 
rents are the best judges ; it might be expedient also, 



158 PRACTICAL QUESTIONS. 

and even proper, to introduce a young child into 
membership. There are, and have been such in- 
stances. Very young children have been admitted 
to the church, and the result, in certain cases, has 
been highly satisfactory. These cases, however, 
are not very common. Children may have piety ; 
but, if very young, they cannot be supposed to 
enter intelligently into the obligations and duties 
which are asserted and implied in the covenants 
usually assented to in our churches. This is one 
reason for postponing, for a while, a profession in 
any given church. It argues no want of confidence 
in youthful piety ; but is a measure of discretion, 
which any church would be justified in adopt- 
ing. 

A still further reason for some delay, if the child 
is very young, would be, the possibility of decep- 
tion in regard to the evidences of true piety. 
These evidences need to be tested by some experi- 
ence, in connection with companionship, and 
worldly pleasures. If the incorruptible seed be 
there, it will live and grow, especially if the pa- 
rent's eye be upon it, and his prayers and instruc- 
tions be employed to nourish it ; and so, in due 
time, this plant of righteousness may be placed 
within the sacred inclosure. 

Considering the variety of training and of ex- 



PKACTICAL QUESTIONS. 159 

perience which children have, and the almost end- 
less variety in their temperaments, their precocity, 
their intelligence ; it would be difficult to lay down 
any one rule as to the proper age for church mem- 
bership. Some are more intelligent at eight than 
others are at twelve or fifteen years. Some are 
under a training from infancy, with a view to this 
very duty. It is explained and made familiar to 
their apprehensions, and if taught at the same time 
by the Holy Spirit, they may come into the church 
with as much knowledge of the true nature of a 
religious profession as older candidates. 

I should have no objections, in such cases, to 
receive a very young person into a church, espe- 
cially, if to this previous training and present 
evidence of piety, there were the additional guar- 
anty of a continued effort and example on the part 
of the parents, to train the child more and more in 
the practical duties of our religion. 

It is a safe rule, however, not to be precipitate 
in this grave matter. Postponement for a few 
years will not injure the piety of one who is truly 
regenerated ; provided the means of grace are 
enjoyed, and a system of religious culture at home, 
in the church, and in the Sabbath school be pur- 
sued. Yet, after all, must each case stand on its 
own individual merits ; and each church, in con- 



160 PRACTICAL QUESTIONS. 

nection with pious and intelligent parents, must 
decide what is best for the child ; and what policy 
is most prudent and edifying on the part of them- 
selves. From twelve years and upwards has been 
thought a prudent limit in regard to admission to 
the church, even where the evidence of youthful 
piety is satisfactory. 



CHAPTER XL 

HOUSEHOLD BAPTISM— A QUESTION IN CONNEC- 
TION WITH IT. 

A question in connection "with household baptism — to what number, and at 
what age shall baptism be administered, on the faith of the professing 
head r — case of the jailer at Philippi considered — the example not defi- 
nite — yet sufficient to warrant the baptism of children under age — cus- 
tom of the Hebrews in regard to proselytes — remarks of Calmet — the 
rule should embrace all from twelve or thirteen years and under — no 
coercion — re-baptism — the question considered — should be discounte- 
nanced — and on what grounds — especially its tendency to self-righteous- 
ness — objections to the principles and practices of the Baptists, princi- 
pally on these grounds — spirit of the Apostle Paul in relation to this 
subject. 

When the head of a household is converted 
and baptized ; or converted, having been baptized ; 
and there are children of different ages, from in- 
fancy up to manhood, in that house, what rule shall 
be observed in regard to their baptism 1 Such was, 
in all probability, the case of the jailer at Philippi, 
and also of Lyclia. The conversion respected, in 
both these instances, the responsible head of the 
house. Paul was at work in obedience to our 
Lord's command, ' Go ye and make disciples of 
all nations ; baptizing them,' &c. ; and, while thus 



162 HOUSEHOLD BAPTISM. 

laboring^ these two heads of households were made 
disciples. They were accordingly baptized. But 
we are informed, that "all his " — referring to the 
jailer — were also baptized. Yet of how many his 
household consisted, or what their ages were, is 
not made known. Hence we can only draw from 
this example the presumptive proof in favor of 
household baptism. We cannot take it as an ex- 
ample of how many in a given household should 
be baptized ; nor within what limitation as to age, 
the ordinance should be confined. The circum- 
stances w^ould lead us to suppose that in both the 
instances alluded to, the individuals were in the 
meridian of life ; and so their children were likely 
to be under age, if not quite young. If they were 
young children, it is easy to see the force and pro- 
priety of the term, "all his." 

In the absence then of definite scripture exam- 
ples, w r e are to make our inferences from such as 
are given, and assume, that where the children are 
young and dependent, they are to be included in 
the covenant, and should receive the sign or seal 
of the righteousness of faith. 

It was customary, we know, among the Hebrews, 
to put the seal upon the household, including even 
servants ; and when converts were made to the 
Jewish faith, it was required that not only the 



HOUSEHOLD BAPTISM. 163 

head of the house — who may have been the only 
proselyte — but all his dependent household should 
wear in their flesh the sign of the new religion. 
This rule applied to one who entered into full com- 
munion with the church, and was called " a prose- 
lyte of justice." But there was no coercion, in 
cases where the members of the household were 
of mature age ; the rule had special reference to 
such as were thirteen years and under. Calmet 
remarks, " The proselyte also caused circumcision 
and baptism to be administered to his slaves 
under thirteen years of age ; those of that age and 
older, could not be compelled ; but he must sell 
them if they were obstinate in not embracing Ju- 
daism. Female slaves were only baptized if they 
would become converts." " Baptism, in respect of 
girls, had the same effect as circumcision in respect 
of boys." 

From these circumstances it mav be inferred, 
that when the Apostles went forth to make disci- 
ples to the Christian religion of all nations, they 
adopted a somewhat similar rule. If the head of 
a house embraced the new faith, he was baptized 
upon that faith, and also his dependent household, 
so far as their age justified the parent in their pre- 
sentation. From twelve or thirteen years and 
under, the children and servants were baptized, 



164 HOUSEHOLD BAPTISM. 

and the parent or parents became responsible for 
their Christian training. 

The same rule may be observed now. There 
should be no coercion ; but if children even be- 
yond the age of thirteen, and well instructed in 
the principles of our religion, should wish to be 
included in the baptismal consecration, I see no 
reason why the privilege should be denied them. 
As a general rule, however, I should think it best 
to let the consecration range from the age of thir- 
teen and under, not excluding any somewhat be- 
yond that age, who should express a strong desire 
to be included. 

RE-BAPTISM. 

Is it ever proper to re -baptize those who have 
been baptized in their infancy ? Such a question 
is occasionally presented as a practical one ; and it 
Avere well in this place, to give it some considera- 
tion. 

"We take the ground that baptism should not be 
repeated. We will not say that there never was a 
case in which it might not be justified ; but the 
repetition in almost any supposable case would be, 
as we think, an unwise precedent. If the act 
shall have been solemnly done in the name of the 



HOUSEHOLD BAPTISM. 165 

Trinity, we see no reason why any supposed defect 
in the administrator should vitiate or nullify the 
ordinance. We do not re-baptize those who have 
received the seal in their infancy or in adult years, 
from one who proves to be a bad man ; nor are we 
accustomed to baptize over again, the children of 
those parents who, from inadequate or superstitious 
views, had the seal affixed upon their offspring. 

The Jews were not accustomed to re-baptize 
proselytes, even though they had apostatized. 
Says Calmet, " Baptism was never repeated, neither 
in the person of the proselyte, though he should 
afterwards apostatize, nor in that of his children 
born to him after baptism ; unless they were born 
from a pagan woman ; in which case they were to 
be baptized as pagans, because they followed the 
condition of their mother." 

Some persons are extremely anxious to be re- 
baptized, on the ground that the person who admin- 
istered the rite was unsound in the faith — that he 
was a Romish priest, or a Unitarian clergyman ; 
and they have a feeling that baptism, by such 
hands, can be of no avail. We should hardly, 
perhaps, be justified in treating such scruples 
lightly, or in refusing, in every case, to re-baptize ; 
but whenever the idea of re-baptism is present- 
ed, under these circumstances, and its necessity 



166 HOUSEHOLD BAPTISM. 

pressed, upon such considerations, it argues a lean- 
ing towards Pharisaism which it is very important 
to rectify. Oar Baptist brethren invariably re- 
baptize, on the ground that they consider pedo- 
baptism as a nullity ; and insist also, that a particular 
form, that is, submersion, is necessary to the validity 
of the ordinance. All not baptized in their way, 
are to them tmbaptized. We have always looked 
upon this peculiarity as dangerous, because tending 
to foster a self-righteous spirit ; and, by making 
an outward rite of so much consequence, they un- 
consciously, as I think, weaken the spiritual power 
of religion. 

For the same reason, I should try to make a 
convert feel that baptism was not the most import- 
ant thing ; that whether administered in infancy, 
or in mature life, it was equally, in God's sight, 
the introductory sign and seal to membership in 
the general church ; that even when performed by 
one whose faith was defective, or whose character 
should subsequently prove to be vicious, still it 
was, to all intents and purposes, baptism ; and may 
be recognized as such, both by the individual bap- 
tized, and by the local church with which he pro- 
poses to enter into covenant. 

Such are the views which, in general, we enter- 
tain in regard to re-baptism. They are in the spirit, 



HOUSEHOLD BAPTISM. 167 

we think, of him who, upon finding a schism well 
nigh ready to break out in the church of Corinth, 
because one was baptized by Paul and another by 
Apollos, thanked God that he had baptized so few, 
and added, " for Christ sent me not to baptize, but 
to preach the gospel." 



CHAPTER XII. 

PRACTICAL DUTIES. 

Questions as to parental indulgence — amusements — they must be innocent 
— differing- views — a rule in regard to amusements — how to be inter- 
preted — children and parents alike professors under the baptismal cove- 
nant — consequent obligations — books — literature of the present day — its 
tendency in many cases bad — parents must watch on this point — what 
kind of books to be admitted, and what to be excluded — the Sabbath — its 
obligation — how to be kept — worship — the duty of parents in regard to 
where his child shall worship — responsibility of parents — close. 

There are questions concerning practical duty 
of every day occurrence, which parents are obliged 
to meet, and which, as connected with parental ob- 
ligation and household training, are not always 
easy of solution. 

A parent is often at a loss, how far he shall in- 
dulge the wishes of his child in regard to what are 
usually called the pleasures of life. Amusements 
of some kind the young and elastic spirit of child- 
hood must have. It would be warring against 
nature, to restrict the buoyant mind to the mere 
routine of every-day duties. There must be sea- 
sons of relaxation and pleasant pastime, in which 



PRACTICAL DUTIES. 169 

the animal spirits may be developed, and an air of 
cheerfulness be cultivated. But very often there 
will be a tendency to excess in these indulgences. 
An undue proportion of time will be claimed for 
pleasures which are innocent ; or there will be a 
craving for such as are, in the judgment of the 
parent, of injurious tendency. 

A child is not the proper judge, as to the 
amount, or the nature of such indulgences. He is 
selfish and impulsive. He looks neither at ten- 
dencies nor at consequences. He usually decides 
simply from preferences and the prospect of pres- 
ent gratification. The parent then is to be the 
judge in such cases ; and that judgment is to 
be exercised according to the disposition of the 
child, and the known tendency of such pleasures 
to benefit or to injure those who are addicted to 
them. 

AMUSEMENTS. 

A first question with the Christian father or 
mother should be : Is the amusement which the child 
craves, innocent ? It would seem as if it were not 
difficult to decide this point ; and yet what w^ould 
be called innoxious by one, would be pronounced 
hurtful by another ; and what one parent would 
12 



170 PRACTICAL DUTIES. 

consider morally injurious, another would plead 
for, as an innocent pastime. I have known pa- 
rents who were professors of piety, and possessors 
too, it is hoped, who were in favor of dancing as 
a juvenile accomplishment, and altogether innocent, 
if not carried to excess ; and I have found others 
in the same church, who looked upon this exercise 
as belonging only to the ungodly, and who were 
pained to learn that any of their fellow-Christians 
either practiced it, or encouraged their children in 
the practice of it. 

I have known professors who justified them- 
selves in taking their children to all sorts of shows 
and exhibitions, indiscriminately, not excepting 
even the opera and the theatre. 

It will be seen, therefore, that the rule which I 
have laid down, viz., that the amusements of our 
children should at least be innocent, is one which 
is liable to be variously construed, and so may lose 
all its practical force. 

But as I am now addressing those parents es- 
pecially who have entered into covenant with God, 
and have made a sort of double profession, having 
vowed not only for themselves, but for their chil- 
dren, to set the latter a Christian example, and in 
every possible way to train them up for God and 
heaven ; I am clear in laying down an expository 



PRACTICAL DUTIES. 171 

understanding of the rule suggested. And my un- 
derstanding is this : that as the children are mem- 
bers of the church general, by baptism, they should 
be indulged in no amusements which would not be 
allowable to a professor of religion. Of course I 
do not now refer to the ordinary out-door sports of 
childhood, in which children usually and inno- 
cently engage. I refer more particularly to those 
artificial and exciting shows and entertainments 
which are addressed more to the sensual than to 
the moral or intellectual part of our nature. Under 
this head, I place all theatres and modifications of 
theatrical exhibitions ; where characters of excep- 
tionable morality, by scenery, dress, and song,, 
cater to the depraved taste of mankind. Here is 
no place for a Christian parent or a Christian child. 
No person is educated either for this world or for 
heaven, in such schools as these. No matter how 
much the child may plead for such amusements on 
the score of popular attraction and general exam- 
ple ; the parent should take his stand and say, e No- 
I am bound to do every thing in my power to train 
up my children for usefulness here, and for glory- 
hereafter ; and such amusements stand directljr 
opposed to this high and holy intention. If it 
would be inconsistent for me, a professor of relig- 
ion, to be seen at such places, why is it not equally* 



172 PRACTICAL DUTIES. 

inconsistent for me to allow my children, who are 
also in a sense professors of religion, by their bap- 
tism, to resort to them ? ' 

Let no parent say, he is forced into compliance ; 
that he cannot help it, He can help it ; and he 
is bound to forbid it, if the indulgence is incon- 
sistent with his vows, or of injurious tendency to 
his child. So long as a child is a minor, depend- 
dent upon him, and under his care, that child is 
bound by the law of the household, to obey the 
parent ; and ordinarily will be found to acquiesce ; 
provided that parent does his duty in the way of 
exacting obedience. Children have a conscience. 
They know many times, that the things for which 
they plead are wrong, or of injurious tendency ; 
and yet from mere selfish or sensual impulses they 
will plead with their parents to indulge them only 
this once, or in this one thing. But there is some- 
thing within that tells them, even before the pa- 
rent has given his decision, that the thing is of 
questionable morality. Let the parent assume this, 
and set before the child in an affectionate way. the 
evil tendencies of the amusement in question ; 
keeping in view, meanwhile, that the baptismal 
covenant obliges him to do onlv that which will 
make for the spiritual good of his child ; — let him 
thus do, and the conscience of the child will re- 



PRACTICAL DUTIES. 173 

spond to his decision,, however the selfish or sin- 
loving heart may object to it. 

If the parent, who has entered into covenant 
for himself and for his child, may not lawfully or 
consistently be found in gay circles, where the 
whole tone and spirit of the company is of a 
merely sensual cast, — where late hours are kept 
and promiscuous dancing is indulged, — if he may 
not consistently form a part of such circles, I see 
not why he should send his child, one of the 
lambs of the flock, into them. For that child he 
has made solemn vows, obliging himself by a sort 
of sacred oath to do every thing in his power to 
further its spiritual interests and to save its soul. 
These vows bind him to refuse invitations not only 
for himself, but for his children, where it is 
well-known that a moral peril is involved in the 
acceptance. 

But I hear the ambitious father or mother say, 
would you have us make our children nuns or 
recluses ? Shall we cut them off from society ? 
No, by no means. My advice goes not to that 
length. It simply says to you, Send not your chil- 
dren to places where their spiritual interests will 
be endangered. This is all. I remember one man 
— and in the judgment of charity a Christian — who 
stood over the dying couch of his daughter, now 



174 PRACTICAL DUTIES. 

unconscious and just at the point of deaths and, 
wringing his hands, he exclaimed, "Oh, I have 
educated rny daughter for this world." 

BOOKS. 

In the present day, we are flooded with books. 
The press is at work day and night, pouring forth 
a perpetual stream upon the counters and book- 
shelves of the publishers, with taking titles and 
attractive embellishments. Columns of the daily 
papers are filled with advertisements of these books, 
in a style the most exaggerated ; telling how many 
thousands have been published, and quoting edito- 
rial commendations, and all with a view to money- 
making. These books, in a majority of cases, are 
got up especially to sell. The authors have in 
view the profits, and so have the publishers. The 
question is. What will sell ? This question looks 
directly to the public taste. If it is low and cor- 
rupt, the books will be of a similar character. 
Books which are made to sell, are very likely to 
have a stamp and character, which make them 
attractive to the million. But the million are not 
the best judges of a healthful literature ; and 
consequently the press groans under the weight 



PRACTICAL DITTIES. 175 

of noxious, and, in some instances, detestable 
books. 

Here then is -work for the parent. He is to 
judge what books are best to come into his domes- 
tic sanctuary. He must keep an eye on this 
matter, or, ere he is aware, the door that is left 
carelessly open, will admit some serpent, in the 
form of an embellished volume, which will steal 
noiselessly in, and sting the soul of his child. 
Books that excite the passions ; that consume time, 
without imparting any valuable information ; that 
appeal to a morbid curiosity, or make an insidious 
attack on the principles of morality and of piety ; 
all such books the Christian parent will feel it to 
be his duty to exclude from his household. Hap- 
pily there are so many good books as well as bad 
ones in the market, books which are entertaining 
yet instructive, that inculcate good principles by 
apt and beautiful illustrations, which tend to im- 
prove the heart whilst they interest the mind, that 
the parent has no apology for allowing his child to 
chink at the turbid and even poisonous fountains 
of the popular literature of the day. 

THE SABBATH. 

Another practical question relates to the observ- 
ance of the Sabbath. How shall this day be kept 



176 PRACTICAL DUTIES. 

in a Christian family, so that the example shall be 
good upon others, and the effect salutary upon 
themselves ? " Remember the Sabbath day to keep 
it holy." This, as a part of the decalogue, is of 
perpetual obligation. Every Christian parent ad- 
mits this, and is only anxious to know in what the 
sanctincation of the Sabbath consists ? 

Whilst we concede that the Christian Sabbath is 
not to be observed in the same manner precisely as 
the Jewish Sabbath was, yet the tendency is to too 
great laxity, rather than to an unnecessary and 
burdensome strictness. Hence we should be the 
more vigilant in guarding the day from desecration 
than anxious to release its claims or to loosen its 
hold upon the conscience. The world is edging 
on more and more, and pushing itself into posi- 
tions which are a virtual robbery of God in regard 
to the time which he claims to his service. " Will 
a man rob God ? But ye have robbed me ! " 
What loose examples everywhere are seen, in 
regard to the keeping of the Sabbath. Some 
spend it in indolence, in eating and drinking, in 
riding and recreating, in writing letters or posting 
accounts, in visiting or in receiving visits, in trav- 
eling for business or for pleasure. Such are the 
ways in which the day, even by some who call 
themselves respectable, is occasionally or habitually 



PRACTICAL DUTIES. 177 

desecrated. Throngs of people will post oft to a 
concert on Sabbath evening, where any good im- 
pressions which may have been made upon their 
minds by the services of the sanctuary, are all 
obliterated under the noisy excitement. What a 
terrible retribution will come upon us if things go 
on thus ; and the Sabbath is converted more and 
more into a day of idleness or of pleasure ! 

The duty of all Christians is to stand by the 
Sabbath, to uphold its claims ; and in their house- 
holds, to insist upon its entire consecration. All 
secular business must cease. The least preparation 
possible must be made for the provision of the 
flesh. It must be a day consecrated to the good 
of the soul. A new and a live coal must be laid 
on the family altar. It must be a day not of 
gloom, but of holy cheerfulness. " This is the 
day which the Lord hath made, we will rejoice 
and be glad in it." . 



" Oh day ; most calm, most bright : 

The fruit of this— -the next world's bud ; 
The endorsement of supreme delight ; 

Writ by a friend, and with his blood ; 
The couch of time — care's balm and bay ; 
The week were dark, but for thy light, 
Thy torch doth show the way." 



178 PRACTICAL DUTIES. 

" Thou art a day of mirth ; 

And where the week days trail on ground, 
Thy night is higher as thy birth : 

Oh let me take thee, at a bound ! 
Leaping with thee from seven to seven ; 
Till, that we both, being tossed from earth 
Ply hand in hand to heaven.' ' 

Most of the Sabbath should be spent in acts of 
devotion. The closet should be regarded as hav- 
ing a first claim ; and the parent should see that 
his child neglects not this duty, but occupies a 
portion of the Sabbath morning in reading the 
Scriptures and in prayer. All should be punctual 
in their attendance upon the family worship ; and 
the parent should aim to make it both attractive 
and edifying, without being tedious. 

Then comes the public worship of the sanctuary ; 
where the children should be found, seated with 
their parents, and listening to the message of salva- 
tion. It is the duty of Christian parents to insist 
upon a uniform and serious attendance by their 
children upon the services of God's house. They 
should worship at the same altar, and side by side 
with their parents. A prurient curiosity will some- 
times lead the child to wish to go elsewhere ; and 
many parents, upon such a wish being expressed, 
will yield to it, provided the pledge is given that 
they will go somewhere to church. But the parent 



PRACTICAL DUTIES. 179 

opens a fatal crevasse by such indulgence. Ere 
long the child's soul is in peril. He has wandered 
away among associations, which are any thing but 
friendly to his spiritual interests. Having gained 
one concession, he will very likely ask for more ; 
and it would require no prophetic skill to see the 
fatal and downward tendency of such ill-judged 
indulgence. We would not be harsh nor unneces- 
sarily stringent, if a respectful request be made 
occasionally to attend some other place of worship 
than our own. But it should be only occasional, 
and for good reasons ; for reasons which the parent 
deems good and sufficient. 

How beautiful a sight to see a parent, siUTOimd- 
ed by his children, going up every Sabbath to- 
gether to the house of God ; sitting together in 
these heavenly places ; fed by the same bread of 
life, and hopefully training, under the same means 
of grace, for the same holy heaven ! 

Let me not be thought bigoted in advising, and 
even insisting that Christian parents restrain their 
children from wandering to this and that place of 
worship, as their fancy or curiosity may lead. This 
is not the way to e train them up in the nurture and 
admonition of the Lord.' It is not doing their 
dutv toward them. It is a violation of those vows 
which, by the baptismal covenant, bind them to 



180 PRACTICAL DUTIES. 

seek the spiritual good and ultimate salvation of 
their children. No ; Christian parent, take your 
child by the hand, and say, ' My duty to attend 
upon this ministry is yours. You are, whilst a 
minor and under my authority, to worship w T ith 
me. I have bound myself to train you up in 
God's ways ; to place you where you will be most 
likely to find the gate of heaven ; and as I judge 
in regard to myself, that this sanctuary is the best 
place for me to learn the way to heaven, so I must 
judge it is the best place for you. I wish to re- 
tain you near my side, to have our sympathies 
blended in this great matter.' 

Such an address cannot fail to affect the child ; 
and there can be little doubt, where the parent is 
firm but affectionate in his refusal to set the child 
adrift on the current of his curiosity or caprice ; 
but holds him warmly to his own religious associ- 
ations, that the child will acquiesce, and will in 
truth find, that his own sanctuary is to him " the 
gate of heaven." 

How responsible the relation of parents and 
children ! How soon will both be called to give 
up their account to God ! What parent can con- 
template that account without feeling that, para- 
mount to all the claims which the child has upon 
him, for temporal support, and intellectual train- 









PRACTICAL DUTIES. 181 

ing, and social advancement, is the claim, to edu- 
cate his soul for a glorious immortality ! Lose 

sight of this, and no matter what other tilings are 
done which might lift him into some conspicuous 
earthly station, or endow him with some short- 
lived pleasures, which wealth may procure ; he 
will still lack ' the one thing that is needful ' ; 
and though he has had the seal of the covenant 
upon his infancy, he will have forfeited, and per- 
haps through parental neglect, his heavenly birth- 
right ; and, like Esau, ' find no place of repentance 
though he seek it carefully and with tears. 5 



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